Life Of Leonardo DiCaprio

His debut film role was in the comedic sci-fi horror film Critters 3, in which he played the stepson of an evil landlord, a role that DiCaprio described as "your average, no-depth, standard kid with blond hair." Released in 1991, the movie went direct-to-video. Soon after, he became a recurring cast member on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains, playing Luke Brower, a homeless boy who is taken in by the Seavers family. DiCaprio made his big screen breakthrough in 1992, when he was handpicked by Robert De Niro to play the lead role in This Boy's Life, co-starring Ellen Barkin and De Niro himself. His performance as the troubled, abused teenager was critically acclaimed and Hollywood soon took notice.
Later in 1993, DiCaprio co-starred as the mentally handicapped brother to Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a comic-tragic odyssey of a dysfunctional Iowa family. Though director Lasse Hallström was initially looking for "someone who wasn't as good-looking" for the role of Arnie, he finally settled on DiCaprio, noting him "the most observant actor" among all auditioners." Budgeted at US$11.0 million, the film became a financial and critical success, resulting in a domestic box office total of US$9.1 million and various accolades for DiCaprio, who was awarded the National Board of Review Award and nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his protrayal.