Pre-Titanic movies of Leonardo DiCaprio that everyone should watch

I have been almost a life-long fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and I think a lot of people are. With very good reason too. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that he is a brilliant actor and his work really shows that. Not only has he done brilliant roles, most of his films have been commercial successes as well. But what disappoints me sometimes is the fact that a lot of people only seem to remember him post Titanic, overlooking his stunning filmography before he did the mega blockbuster. Of course I love Titanic and I agree that the film was a huge turning point in his career. But he did some really amazing work before that as well. So, I’ll share some of my favourite pre-Titanic Leo films in this blog.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)- He earned his first Oscar nomination for this movie at age 19! This movie also stars Johnny Depp but Leo clearly steals the show. If you haven’t watched this movie, please do now!

This Boy’s Life (1993)- This is a biopic based on the memoir of Tobias Wolff. Leo stars in the lead alongside Robert De Niro. Watch it!

The Basketball Diaries (1995)- Another biopic and one of my favourite pre-Titanic performances of Leo. It’s about a promising teen basketball player and his subsequent addiction to heroin.

Total Eclipse (1995)- Watched this one recently. Based on the tumultuous romance of celebrated French poets Paul Verlain and Arthur Rimbaud in the 1800s. Leo plays the genius, 16-year-old Rimbaud and you can’t look away.