Chip Chick
That same year, Leo finally got his big break to move into making movies. His breakout role was in a comedy horror called Critters 3, and if you think Leo has never made a bad movie I hate to break it to you, but he thinks this one was it. Towards the end of 1991, Leo got cast in another TV sitcom called Growing Pains.
In 1992, Leo was selected by Robert De Niro to act alongside him in a movie called This Boy’s Life, which actually did quite well.
It wasn’t until the next year though that Leo starred in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and he really started raking in the ratings. He ended up being nominated for a Golden Globe as well as an Academy Award.
When 1995 came, Leo was cast in a western titled The Quick and the Dead. That same year he appeared in The Basketball Diaries and Total Eclipse.
His career was picking up steam by now!
In 1996, Leo played Romeo in Romeo + Juliet. Not only did the movie do exceptionally well (it brought in $147 million dollars across the world), but Leo did too.
He ended up taking home the Silver Bear for Best Actor, an award the Berlin International Film Festival gives out.
Next, Leo appeared in Marvin’s Room, which also came out in 1996.
Then, Leo went to audition for Titanic. He was up against some already big-name and established actors for the role of Jack, including Matthew McConaughey.
So what made Leo really stand out for the role?
“Leo came in for an interview and I had this weird thing: I looked around the room and every woman in the building was in the meeting… the accountant was there, the female security guard, so I thought maybe I better cast this guy,” James Cameron, the director said according to CinemaBlend.
Leo impressed quite a few people in the room that day, landing the role of Jack and setting the stage for the rest of his career to be quite the success.
