Leonardo DiCaprio: Man of the World

Leonardo DiCaprio is in Miami, preparing to leave for Paris to film interviews for his new documentary about the environment. These days the world-famous actor devotes much of his time and money to saving the planet, and this passion, along with his interest in history, is among the reasons that led him to star in the movie The Revenant (in theaters now).

The film tells the harrowing story of a savagely injured fur trapper abandoned by his hunting party in the winter wilderness—and forced to make his way home alone. Set in 1823, it is based on the experiences of real-life frontiersman Hugh Glass. DiCaprio, 41, who has starred in 26 films and is a five-time Oscar nominee, is up for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for best actor for The Revenant, which is also a Golden Globe nominee for best motion picture drama.

Born in Hollywood, DiCaprio was the only child of a divorced mother, Irmelin, a German refugee. His dad, George DiCaprio, was a distributor of comic books. DiCaprio grew up in a very tough area of Los Angeles, among prostitutes, addicts and drug dealers. He was a small boy, lonely, with few friends. He got beat up a lot. “I never belonged,” he says. As a young teenager he landed a few TV commercials and, in 1991, won a recurring role on the TV series Growing Pains. He was 17. A year later Robert De Niro chose him for the movie This Boy’s Life, which launched his film career. But for years, he’s had much more on his mind than just being a movie star.

10 Times Leonardo DiCaprio Put History in Theaters 

Tell us about your new documentary on climate change.

We’ve been all over the world for this, from Argentina to the Arctic. I just got back from China and India. It was an eye-opening experience. We’re absolutely digging our own ecological grave.

You frequently star in films based on real people and events in history, such as J. Edgar, The Wolf of Wall Street, Gangs of New York and now The Revenant. Why?

I like stories in specific time periods. The Revenant’s era of American history was fascinating because it was this lawless no-man’s land. It defined the idea of the American frontiersman as man conquering nature. In a way, the story of Hugh Glass is about man dominating nature.