Film|Celebrities

Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Leonardo DiCaprio

Coy Jandreau
Updated July 3, 2024 2.5M views 25 items

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of those rare people who managed to go from child star to grown up star with more grace than anyone thought possible. No wild phases for Leo, even after making money and getting famous at a very young age. From day one, Leonardo DiCaprio has seemed like a really stand up guy, and an extremely talented one at that.

He went from doing random day-player roles as a young teen (yes, that was a 16-year-old Leo on Roseanne for an un-credited student role), to a starring role on Growing Pains, before being picked by De Niro to star in This Boy's Life. Not long after that, Leo snagged an Oscar nod for Gilbert Grape. Then came Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, and Titanic. Suddenly he was the teen heartthrob, but instead of choosing the easy path, he kept taking challenging roles. The Beach, Gangs of New York, Catch Me if You Can, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, etc. all followed. The man can pick a script!

But who is Leonardo DiCaprio? How would his biography outside of movie roles read? Where does that iconic name comes from? Who are his decades-long friendships with? What causes does he believe in and does how he back them? And what about his love of dinosaur skeletons?

We've pored over the history of the man, through interview after interview, fact after fact, quote after quote, in order to bring you the best stories about who Leo really is. There is so much to learn about the man. Consider this your own personal DiCaprio wiki page. These are fun facts and trivia you didn't know about Leonardo DiCaprio! When you're done learning about him, be sure to check out our Leonardo DiCaprio movies list.

  • His Haircut From 'Titanic' Was Outlawed By The Taliban

    His Haircut From 'Titanic' Was Outlawed By The Taliban

    This is going to sound like an Onion article, but it is actually completely true. Leonardo DiCaprio became incredibly famous after the record-shattering success of Titanic. But his celeb status wasn't just in America, it was worldwide. Soon rebellious teenagers in Afghanistan were looking to get Leo's haircut.

    Seen by the government as a symbol of pride in Western Culture, it was quickly outlawed. Teenagers and barbers across Afghanistan were even being imprisoned for the trendy 'do!

    Source: BBC News

  • He's Been BFFs With Tobey Maguire And David Blaine Since They Were Kids

    It's important to have close friends in any business, but it's especially important in a business as lonely and nerve wracking as the entertainment industry. It's good to know who your friends are before you get famous so you don't need to second guess it later. Leo knew this growing up in the craziness of Hollywood, and formed what he called (at the time, we assume he doesn't anymore...) the "P*ssy Posse."

    This close group of friends consisted of Tobey Maguire, Lucas Haas, Q-Tip, David Blaine and Harmony Korrine. They're all still friends to this day, decades later. Quite the entourage.

    Source: NNDB

  • People Tried To Convince Him To Change His Name

    People Tried To Convince Him To Change His Name

    When Leonardo was 11 and was just trying to break into acting, an agent flat out told him he wouldn't get work with the name Leonardo DiCaprio. They said it was "too ethnic" and turned him down when he refused to change it.

    The name they wanted him to change it to? Lenny Williams. Lenny! Williams! Two years later, at 13, he met with an agent that liked his name just fine. It wasn't long before he was working. And now Leonardo DiCaprio is a household name.

    Source: NowMagazine.Co.Uk

  • He Is Building An Eco-Friendly Resort

    Back in 2005, Leonardo DiCaprio bought a 104-acre island in Belize! He plans to open a small, eco-friendly, resort on the awesomely-named Blackadore Caye. The goal is to show firsthand how easy it is to build an eco-friendly sustainable home/property anywhere.

    Source: Private Island Magazine.com

  • James Cameron Wanted Him For Spider-Man

    James Cameron Wanted Him For Spider-Man

    Not only did James Cameron write a Spider-Man script with the intent to direct it as well, he wanted his Titanic star to play Peter Parker! The James Cameron Spider-Man obviously never came to pass, but around the same time, Leonardo DiCaprio was locked into playing another now iconic role, Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

    Eventually scheduling conflicts forced him to leave the role, and a fairly unknown Christian Bale took over. It was Bale's performance in Psycho that gave comic fans faith that he could pull off the Dark Knight!

    Source: Observer.com
  • He's Named After Leonardo DaVinci

    He's Named After Leonardo DaVinci

    Yup, just like your favorite Ninja Turtle. Apparently DiCaprio's parents were visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and stopped to look at a DaVinci painting. It was at that exact moment that little Leo kicked for the first time.

    They decided it was an omen and named him Leonardo.

    Source: Wall Street Journal