We Never Knew Leonardo DiCaprio!!!
We like to think we are privy to every little detail about celebrities but that’s not always the case. In this article, I will be sharing with you some things you didn’t know about Hollywood legend; Leonardo Di Caprio
Name Origins
Named after Da Vinci after his mother saw a painting by the infamous artist and inventor in Florence while she and his father were on their honeymoon and happened to visit the Uffizi gallery. Her admiration and love for the painting inspired their choice of name.
This decision will later cause Leonardo roles in TV as his name was perceived to be un-American. Leonardo was advised by his agent to change his name after he went for 100 auditions and couldn’t land a single job because of the origins of his name but he never took that advice.
First Jobs
The actor who started his career young got his first commercial ad at 14 for a Matchbox cars company and was accompanied to auditions by his mother through his teenage years. He was also fired from his first TV job for being too disruptive during the filming of a series called Romper Room
Singing Voice
The actor has said on several occasions that he has an atrocious singing voice that didn’t let him be part of Moulin Rouge. He has also been quoted to have said about his recent role in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ “Well, thank God I wasn’t hired for my voice for this movie.”
Avid Party Goer
He was an avid partygoer in the 90s and a group of Hollywood guys, including names such as Tobey Maguire, David Blaine, and Harmony Korine were all part of a group ‘The Pussy Posse’ that partied through the entire decade whilst bedding as many beautiful women as possible.
Has Never Done Drugs
Though America’s sweetheart has admitted to smoking e-cigarettes, he has never done drugs and consulted an on-set drug expert during the filming of “the wolf of wall street”; a movie that portrayed extensive drug use and abuse.
Leonardo has also admitted that during the filming of “the wolf of wall street,” he watched YouTube videos with costar Jonah Hill for inspiration on the drunken scenes. Leo revealed that they were “literally doing fake coke for, like, seven months, every day,” which even led to Jonah Hill being hospitalized after snorting too much!
His Awards and Moments
Though Leonardo is famously known for iconic roles and awards, It wasn’t always like that for him he received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor in 2001 following his role in The Beach, which received countless negative reviews.
It was also a running Hollywood joke that he was a consistent academy loser. His first nomination was for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993 which he didn’t win, he also had 5 other award nominations which he also lost before his first win in 2016 at the Oscars for The Revenant.
His Haircut was Banned!!!
Following the success of Titanic, his hairstyle was banned in countries like Afghanistan where the religious scene wanted nothing to do with the movie. Leo’s iconic hairstyle in Titanic was allegedly banned in Afghanistan!
The signature 90s curtain cut was deemed offensive to Islam, as the bangs would interfere with the ability to bow and say prayers. In fact, 22 barbers were jailed for giving their clients this hairstyle! Mind-blowing!
Kate Winslet Flashed Him During the Filming of Titanic
He’s still friends with Titanic co-star Kate Winslet who flashed him during filming to break the ice and make their romantic scenes more natural.
Got a Woman in Jail and rightly so
During a night out in 2005, a model named Aretha Wilson smashed a bottle on Leonardo’s head causing him to be sent to the emergency room and getting 17 stitches. It was later discovered that in her drunken state, the model had believed him to be her ex-boyfriend. She later pleaded guilty to the offense and was sentenced to 2 years.
He’s a Vegetarian
While he may seem like a fancy man with lots of red meat in his diet, Leonardo is a vegetarian. If you follow his social media pages, you would have noticed his strong advocacy against meat consumption and while he hasn’t come out as vegan, he once shared a post on his Twitter page urging his followers to join him in consuming plant-based foods.
But he ate raw liver in The Revenant
Yes, the actor through his dedication to the role had to eat raw liver for one of the scenes and though he was given the option of a fake one because of his dietary preferences, he turned it down saying it didn’t look ‘real’
OCD
The famous actor has revealed that he has OCD and had admitted to rearranging hotel furniture and stepping on gum compulsively. However, he said he is working on getting past the disorder.
Environmentalist and Philanthropist
If you have been following his social media posts, you would have noticed his passion for the environment and climate. He is building an eco-friendly vacation resort on an island he purchased near Belize. Though his plans were halted because of locals protesting the new site.
Leonardo during the filming of Blood Diamond in South Africa met a girl while visiting an orphanage and chose to adopt her from afar, sending enough funds for her education and care while her carers send him updates. He has also donated millions to several honorable causes.
I learned so many things about the Hollywood legend while researching for this article and that just goes to say that you never truly know a person. Thanks for reading, don’t forget to applaud, comment and follow for more celebrity facts.
