You know Leonardo DiCaprio is this generation’s blazing gun and shooting star, as since Titanic, the man proved more than once that he can play a dramatic character at the art level. There are some people who also say that basically Leo is playing the same persona over and over again, in all his movies, you know, the guy that gets seduced by the promises of rampant capitalism, and gives us a bite, over and over again, of the same bitter cookie that represent the drama of the American dream. Perhaps these commentators are right and Leo is stuck in the same role with a different director, but to narrow his acting career to a few stereotypes is just like saying that Samuel L. Jackson plays only badass characters. Which is true. And we hope he sticks to them until the end of time. Because Samuel is badass.
But we divert. Leonardo DiCaprio can play whatever role he wants, even if it’s the same. But the topic of today is the four badass real people played by Leonardo DiCaprio, because these particular roles added yet another stone to the foundation of Leo’s career, which can pride itself with a very recent Golden Globe award for the character of real person Jordan Belfort. So let’s take a look back in history and reminiscence on the other badass people that got onto the silver screen and to world wide fame grace to Leo’s acting talents.
1. Frank Abaganale Jr. – Catch me if you can (2002)
Mr. Frank Abagnale Jr. gave headaches and nightmares to the authorities back in the sixties, as he was a genius criminal mastermind and such a charming presence, the law enforcement just couldn’t keep him in jail. Forger, impersonator, trickster, hoaxer, you name it, he assumed identities and he could have faked anything that would serve his purposes. He escaped from police custody twice and by 21, he was the con artist du jour and du monde. Now, as you probably know, he is a consultant with authorities and whomever is interested in safety and security strategies. Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for the Golden Globes Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. And the movie is awesome.
2. Howard Hughes – The Aviator (2004)
We believe it’s not the case to explain you in detail who was Howard Hughes, but in all fairness, he is the most badass real people played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Hughes was larger than life and in 71 years he managed to do things other people would do in five lives. This American historical figure is beyond monumental and in honesty, the movie we know as the Aviator was pretty badass too back in the day. Maybe you don’t believe in the validity of the 5 Oscars, but the movie scored them nonetheless, but it is a Scorsese – DiCaprio happy match that will prove extremely valuable in the future.
3. J. Edgar Hoover – J Edgar (2011)
Yep, Leonardo seems to be quite peckish when it comes to choosing badass real characters to bring back to life on the silver screen. You will say that this movie ranked low in IMDB stars, but we have not only another great historical American figure, but we also have a Golden Globe Nomination for Leonardo for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. So maybe some disagree with Hoover’s political visions, some may even disagree with this particular movie, but as we approach our final destination, we can’t dismiss the fact that Leo really knows how to pick his lottery tickets.
4. Jordan Belfort – The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Nominated for 5 Oscar Awards (and if you didn’t see Leo’s Golden Globe Award acceptation speech, it’s a fun thing to watch), the movie itself sky rocks. But Jordan Belfort is the fourth badass real people played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mr. Belfort, well… he is quite the character. You know what? Here is a short biography of this ex – stockbroker turned motivational speaker and since we all know this is the type of “rise and fall” movie we won’t spoil the fun of those who didn’t see it yet. But go see it.
So these are the four badass real people played by Leonardo DiCaprio and let’s have one thing clear: he played a lot of other badass fictional characters too, and we say only this: Blood Diamond. Or Shutter Island. Or Inception. Or… Calvin Candie.
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