Happy birthday Leonardo DiCaprio! One of our favourite on-screen heartthrobs turns another year older today
Who doesn’t love Leonardo DiCaprio? He’s had our hearts doing somersaults since the 90s and turning 40 today catapults him to silver-fox status. Well on his way to becoming the next George Clooney, Leo has been a famously single bachelor for many years now, as well as one of our generation’s best actors. A Baz Luhrmann staple, Leonardo has been capturing hearts and minds in romantic roles since Romeo and Juliet, nailing it almost every time. To celebrate the big birthday, 7 Wonders takes a trip down memory lane and relives our favourite Leonardo DiCaprio movies.
ROMEO AND JULIET
It’s been eighteen years since we first saw Baz Luhrmann’s epic interpretation of the Shakespeare classic. Way back before she was busy fighting terrorists, Claire Danes starred opposite Leonardo in the modern retelling of the centuries-old tale of star crossed lovers and warring families.
TITANIC
What was the world’s highest grossing film until Avatar came along and smacked it confidently off the top spot, the James Cameron epic is when most of us first fell in love with Leo. The film that made us believe that love conquers all, until Kate Winslet leaves Leonardo to drown at the end. We all know there was room on that door.
THE BEACH
The film that inspired a generation to go travelling in Thailand, Leonardo finds an idyllic secret tropical island, that’s presided over by the one and only Tilda Swinton. An unforgettable film, that gets surprisingly dark for a movie set on a perfect white sand beach. Topless scenes are an obvious bonus.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Back in 2002, Leo starred as a nineteen year old criminal in the Steven Spielberg biographical crime drama, based on the life of famous 1960’s criminal Frank Abagnale. Thrilling and clever, this film proved that our man of the moment is more than just a pretty face.
INCEPTION
An epic head-fuck of a film, Inception is as gripping as it is utterly complex. A dream, within a dream, within a dream? Sure. Leonardo played alongside the effortless Ellen Page and fabulous Marion Cotillard in this fantasy-thriller heist that pushed the boundaries of CGI and complicated plotlines.
THE GREAT GATSBY
Seeing DiCaprio take on another Baz Luhrmann role, this epic adaptation of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel gave the world a case of 1920’s fever… again. With everyone from Prada to Primark making a killing by flogging flapper dresses, The Great Gatsby was the defining cinematic moment of 2013.
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
In a film that sees him take on a the role of a corrupt stockbroker, Leo nails it right from the first second of Wolf of Wall Street. Featuring a whole load of finance, cocaine and 90’s decadence, this film proved that he doesn’t have to be a good guy to peak our interest.
Words: Elliot Rose