Leonardo Di Caprio's performance in Clint Eastwood's J.Edgar is the latest in a long line of acclaimed lead turns from the American star. Taking on the title role of J.Edgar Hoover the highly controversial head of the FBI between 1935 and 1972, Di Caprio proves once again his ability to bring sympathy and humanity to potentially difficult characters.
Di Caprio has come a long way since he first appeared on screen in the straight to video horror flick Critters 3 way back in 1991. The big break for Di Caprio wo
uld come in the following year when screen legend Robert De Niro hand-picked the then 18 year old actor to take the lead role opposite De Niro in This Boy's Life. Di Caprio won great plaudits for that performance as he did for his performance opposite Johnny Depp in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape? It was, however, his roles in two movies in 1996 and 1997 which would turn Di Caprio from a promising young actor to an icon of his age.
The first of these was Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet, a high octane re-telling of Shakespeare's timeless romance set in modern Venice Beach. The second was James Cameron's Titanic which went on to become the highest grossing film of all time. These two films won Di Caprio the plaudits of critics and the hearts of young girls across the globe, and soon he was on every magazine cover and gossip column in print.
At this point Di Caprio was at a crossroads. He could continue with commercially solid box-office fodder and remain Hollywood's pretty boy or he could bring his huge talent to more difficult, potentially risky films. Since then his choice of work indicates which path he took.
Roles in Woody Allen's Celebrity, Martin Scorsese's The Departed, Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road and Christopher Nolan's Inception have shown us where Di Caprio is most comfortable – working with top class directors making films which are challenging, insightful, innovative pieces of work. A genuine screen icon who picks projects based on director and quality as opposed to potential profit, Di Caprio has risen from being a teen heart throb to become a true giant of the silver screen.