From What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to The Wolf Of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio’s 6 best performances to date
Since breaking into the industry as a teenager, Leonardo DiCaprio has proven himself to be one of the most charismatic and versatile movie stars in Hollywood.
While at one stage he was just seen as a teen heart-throb, he’s since proven his considerable ability time and time again in starring roles.
So, here are his six best performances, including his one Oscar-winning performance, to date.
The real challenge here was narrowing down his best performances, with the likes of Romeo And Juliet, Catch Me If You Can and Inception all narrowly missing out.
6. Calvin Candie: Django Unchained
DiCaprio threw himself wholeheartedly into the role of despicable slave-owner and all-round bad egg Calvin Candie.
He created a character who was undeniably charismatic despite being unrelentingly vile throughout.
Spitting out Tarantino dialogue with great relish, the actor showed he could play the villain and lose none of his magnetism in the process.
5. Arnie Grape: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
This was the role that really announced Leo to the world and it remains one of his most affecting performances to date.
His turn as Arnie, a boy living with mental health issues, justifiably earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
DiCaprio created someone who wasn’t a mere stereotype but instead a nuanced and fully rounded character with immense charm and likability.
4. Jordan Belfort: The Wolf Of Wall Street
As the loathsome Wall Street whizz Jordan Belfort, DiCaprio revels in every hedonistic second as the arrogant, nasty and drug-addled monster.
Showing that he is adept at comedy as well as drama, DiCaprio is effortlessly entertaining from start to finish, giving us an unforgettable character who is utterly unrepentant for his depravity.
3. Billy Costigan: The Departed
A gritty turn from DiCaprio here as undercover cop Billy Costigan who risks everything to bring down the mob.
Constantly on edge and increasingly desperate, Billy has a cold and ruthless streak but is, at heart, a good man trying to do the right thing in difficult circumstances.
DiCaprio brings a steady sense of maturity to this pivotal role in which he’s the relative voice of morality in among the chaos.
2. Hugh Glass: The Revenant
The role that finally won Leo a best actor Academy Award was part of a gruelling and brutal shoot that pushed the experienced actor to his limit.
Out in the isolated wilds, DiCaprio gave a stripped-down and physical performance, making us truly feel every gruelling setback his character faced.
Comfortably the most rugged and intense turn of his career.
1. Howard Hughes: The Aviator
DiCaprio fully immersed himself into the role of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, delivering a performance that perfectly captured the subject’s many quirks and foibles.
DiCaprio portrays Hughes at various points in his life, showing his depth and range as he depicts a determined genius slowly unraveling and succumbing to his OCD.
It’s an immensely impressive display from a Hollywood star in his prime.
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