Leonardo DiCaprio - The Early Years
AMC Movie List

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Early Years

Before he made Titanic, Leonardo was a young lad working on building an impressive body of work. Which of his early hits is your favorite?

rank title points votes your vote
1 What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Leo got his first Oscar nom here, for his textured performance as Johnny Depp's mentally handicapped little brother. 121 189
2 Romeo + Juliet
Baz Luhrmann's surreal adaptation sparked Leo fever in response to his turn as the most romantic lead of all time. 85 189
3 The Basketball Diaries
Portraying author Jim Carroll's real-life struggle with drug addiction, Leo creates a character whose deterioration is hard to watch. 51 141
4 This Boy's Life
Leo channels the horror of an abused young boy railing against his stepfather, played by Robert DeNiro. 39 117
5 The Quick and the Dead
An underrated Sam Raimi Westerner. DiCaprio plays gunslinger the Kid, one of his few purely fun roles. 35 119
6 Marvin's Room
As Meryl Streep's disturbed son, Leo first burns down a house, and then brings the family together. 12 102
7 Critters 3
In his feature-film debut, Leo plays the stepson of an evil landlord. An admirable performance, all things considered. -21 89
8 Total Eclipse
DiCaprio brings passion and intensity to this portrayal of a homosexual relationship between two nineteenth-century poets. -23 83
9 Poison Ivy
Remember DiCaprio's turn as Guy, in this soft-core classic? We're guessing he doesn't want to, either. -25 81
10 The Foot Shooting Party
DiCaprio gives a great early performance as a musician trying to avoid the draft. -27 73