With the momentum garnered by wins at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, and ample talk of the grueling preparations for his role in The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio is preparing for what may be—if it materializes as expected—his biggest moment ever: recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor. But long before he was a twinkle in Alejandro Iñárritu‘s eye, he was a babe in his mother’s arms, a sandy-haired child actor mugging for promotional shots and a young dreamboat papering the walls of tween-age bedrooms.
Leonardo DiCaprio in 1975.Peter Fleming—Retna Ltd./CorbisLeonardo DiCaprio with his mother, Irmelin, in Los Angeles in 1975. Peter Fleming—Retna Ltd./CorbisLeonardo DiCaprio with his mother, Irmelin, and father, George, in Los Angeles in 1976. Peter Fleming—Retna Ltd./CorbisFrom left: Leonardo DiCaprio and his stepbrother, Adam Ferrer, in Los Angeles in 1978. Gianfranco Gasparro—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio in 1989.Darlene Hammond—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio in Los Angeles in Aug. 1990.Janet Macoska—Retna Ltd./CorbisLeonardo DiCaprio in a promotional still for Parenthood, c. 1990.Theo Westenberger—Getty ImagesFrom left: Max Elliott Slade, as Kevin Buckman, and Leonardo DiCaprio, as Garry Buckman, in a promotional still for Parenthood, c. 1990. Gary Null—Getty ImagesFrom left: Leonardo DiCaprio, as Luke Brower, and Kirk Cameron, as Mike Seaver, in Growing Pains in 1991.ABC Photo Archives/Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio, c. 1991.Fotos International/Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio during the 1992 MTV Rock n Jock Basketball in Irvine, Calif. on Sept. 19, 1992.Jeff Kravitz—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio during the 1992 MTV Rock n Jock Basketball in Irvine, Calif. on Sept. 19, 1992.Jeff Kravitz—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio, c. 1992. Darlene Hammond—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio at the premiere of Benny & Joon in Los Angeles on March 25, 1993.Barry King—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio in Hollywood, Calif. on Oct. 22, 1993.Ron Galella—Getty ImagesFrom left: Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp attend a screening for What's Eating Gilbert Grape in Los Angeles on Dec. 12, 1993. Ron Galella, Ltd.—WireImageLeonardo DiCaprio in 1994.Darryl Estrine—CorbisLeonardo DiCaprio during the 66th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 21, 1994.Barry King—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio in 1994.Darryl Estrine—CorbisFrom left: Leonardo DiCaprio and Dennis Hopper in New York City on April 2, 1994. Steve Eichner—Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio in New York City in 1995.Catherine McGann—Getty ImagesFrom left: Mark Wahlberg and Leonard DiCaprio attend the film premiere of The Basketball Diaries in New York City in 1995. Rose Hartman—Getty Images
