5 Of The Best Leonardo DiCaprio Performances

One of the most beloved and heralded actors of all time, Leonardo DiCaprio has had an enviable career so far. From starring in one of the most successful of all time (Titanic) to starring in career defining roles later on in his career, he has proved that he is a versatile actor. It's a shame he has no Oscar so far in his career, but until then here are my 5 favorite performances of his. These performances are all really different from one another, and some of them were good enough to win him that elusive Oscar. The order of the films is in the year the movie appeared in theaters. (Some performances I really liked didn't make the list, but I just chose 5 that I believe stand out more to a general audience when they think of some of the best Leo performances).

1) What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

What's amazing about this role is that Leonardo was just 19 years old when the film released. In his first Academy Award Nominated performance, Leo plays a mentally challenged brother to Johnny Depp's title character. Playing these types of characters on screen are always a challenge, as playing to one extreme could lead to criticism or controversy and the other extreme could lead to playing it safe. Leo dives into the character in a strikingly realistic way, and gives the character a realism and natural feel that many actors have trouble doing when playing a mentally challenged character. Leo revealed that he would go and talk to teens who are mentally challenged and would watch their mannerisms and the way they interacted with him. He said that he analysed how they would look at many things with a sense of awe and astonishment, something that he incorporated into the role. His character has an innocence and an honesty that makes the role so endearing. We as an audience relate to Gilbert's struggles with his brother, and this is enhanced by the way Leo interacts with Depp on screen. He performs even the most subtle tics as if he actually had them, the way he looks at each person and talks to them, makes for some startling and astonishing character acting. Of all the Academy Award Nominated performances, this one was probably the role that could have gotten him the Oscar (the award went to Tommy Lee Jones for the role in the film, The Fugitive). However, if there was any indication for a rising star's potential as a big star, this film was a clear indication that Leo was going places. Here is one of the best scenes from the entire film:

2) Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Another movie where he starred alongside a famous lead actor (Tom Hanks), Catch Me If You Can tells the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a man who successfully forged cheques getting large sums of money in the process, all the while forging his way into big time jobs such as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a legal prosecutor. This is an interesting role considering that it's based on a real life person. But Leo gives the role a sense of pizzazz and spark that another actor probably couldn't have done. In his only collaboration with legendary film maker Steven Spielberg, we witness the antics and cons being pulled by Frank in a cool and fun way. The dramedy is pretty much a tailor made role for Leo, with him using his charisma and on screen presence in a majority of the scenes. The role is not a difficult one, but it does involve having an abundance of charm. We see the character grow throughout the whole movie, dealing with family issues such as his parents divorce to seeing him deal with the FBI agent (played by Tom Hanks) tracking his every move. We see his character trying to start a new and happy life with nurse Brenda, whom he meets during his time as a doctor. But as the tables turn on him, he believes that his love for her will conquer over the truth he admits to her. However, he soon realizes that he is alone on this con voyage of his. The scenes where the agent confronts Frank in hiding spot in France and also the last scene at the airport, show Leo's ability to add some emotional and childish negligence that his character has after being caught. His character is not willing to accept defeat, and he wants to believe he can still live on the run. It's a testament to how great of an actor Leo is, making what could be a normal easy role for some, more complex and entertaining. Here's one of the best scenes from the entire film:

3) The Departed (2006)

In this ensemble drama, Leo plays the character of Billy Costigan, an undercover cop who successfuly infiltrates mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) mob, unknowingly to him that one of Frank's own people is a mole in the police department. In a movie where the majority of the actors are playing at a high level, Leo gives his character a dark and very stern portrayal. It's probably one of the most stern performances we have seen Leo take on in his career, and we see the troubles he has to keep his role as a cop under raps within the mob. What makes the role so amazing is that Leo's character is pretty much in an identity crisis. He is being someone else, and his character struggles with that. He has to take not only the pressure of the cops, but is also hounded by Frank, who initially smells bullshit with Billy joining the mob. Leo's performance alongside Jack is probably the big highlight of the film. To hold his own with one of the greatest actors of all time is an achievement on its own. Not to mention the fact that a majority of the film sees him in distress, one or another. In the tragic second half, we see things crumble for Billy. The man that got him to do the mission is killed, the mole in the group takes credit of taking down Frank in a shootout, and deleting Billy from the police database. We see Leo in his final scenes in the film as straight forward and unwilling to allow the mole to be left unscathed. It's a powerful that features his character and the mole character played by Matt Damon in a final confrontation. We see the mole cracking under pressure, expressing his want to literally just get killed by him, with Billy calmly exclaiming that he is killing him, the mole just hasn't realized it. It shows the depth that Leo is able to show in a simple line, throughout the whole confrontation we see him angrily shouting and displeased with how things have gone, but in his last moment he believes that maybe, just maybe, he can finish the mission the way that it should have. Here's one of the best scenes from the entire film:

4) Inception (2010)

In one of the most talked about films in recent history, Inception is a movie with literally too much to talk about and too much to think about (in a good way). At the center of all the mind bending action and drama is Leo's character Cobb. Usually in action films, we don't have characters dealing with so much. However, when you have a guy like Christopher Nolan, you should expect things to be more a little more than usual. He gives Leo an incredible character who is dealing with so much. The film is literally about the mind, and how it affects not just ourselves, but the way we deal with things and the way our life goes. In Cobb's case, he is haunted by the memories of lover Mal (Marion Cottilard) and the fact that he is away from his son and daughter. All of this coupled with the fact that the only way for him to get back to his kids is to perform a near impossible mind mission, it leads to an incredible visual experience. Leo gives Cobb a lot of dimensions. He is a disgruntled man whose past is affecting his present life. Ariadne (Ellen Page), one of the team members he assembles to perform the mission, is astonished by how much Cobb has deep down inside his conscious. He is tormented and sad, but also driven and intelligent. He has to go through so much, just to go back to the reality that he wants. It's incredible the struggle his character goes through, including the limbo scenes with Mal. Leo gives his character a sense of vulnerability but not losing in the suave and intelligence that Cobb has. In the talked about final scene, we see the brilliance that is Leo, with his expressions and body language showing a man that has literally gone through the trenches just to simply reunite with his kids. He lives throughout the movie in questionable doubt of what's reality and what's in his mind. When he sees the kids he allows the top to spin, not caring whether it continues to spin or if it topples. Leo shows that his character is settled, relinquishing his inner demons and also satisfied that he can finally live the life that he always wanted. All that, for an action film role. Here's one of the best scenes in the entire film:

5) The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

What do you get when you take Leo and add a story about the true story of a coke driven Wall Street-er who conned his way to being named the The Wolf of said street? You get a energetic, full throttle, and quite hilarious film role. It felt when watching the movie that Leo just decided let it all loose and just go into crazy mode. Playing the role of Jordan Belfort, Leo literally goes from humble beginnings at the start of the film, to the crazy business man, to a destructive drug driven individual, to the end that sees him lose it all and end up being a seminar host. The movie brilliantly dives itself in the greed theme, and how it changes a person. Leo does an amazing job showing how a regular nobody who is desperate to work goes to the power hungry man that wants more. He goes from having a steady life to one that is so hilariously (and scary) deranged. He gives Jordan the mind of a hateful and disgusting man. A man driven by greed and money, a man who wants his name known. Leo blazes through the movie with a sense of determination to make the portrayal a standout, and he does so in aces. For the most part, the scenes that stand out the most are the ones where Jordan addresses his staff or when he is having a conversation. The dialogue delivery, along with the persuasive and rapid fire pace that Leo delivers them in, makes these scenes incredible. Jordan is conniving, but the way he gets attention is through speech. He molds the surroundings to his wants and the way he wants them to be. He leaves his first wife, the supporting one that desires her husband to give the field another shot (unknowingly creating the monster that he later becomes), to ending up with the beautiful but not so great new wife. Leo plays the character in a way where is mentality is this simple, "I don't give a crap." Jordan wastes through money and drugs like it's always gonna be there. He thinks he's king but yet he does eventually get taken down by federal agents, and the heinous crimes and money scams come back to bite him. At the end of the film, we see Jordan end up as a seminar host. We see the character go from using his talking for the bad, to possibly the good. Leo does a great job with making the character unrelatable, but does so in a way where we see why he might do certain things. His morality's not in check for the majority of the story, and this causes him to wind up where he is today. Here is one of the best scenes in the film:

And that just about does it, I know I missed loads of films, but hope you liked the article nevertheless:)