Leonardo DiCaprio’s Top 10 Performances

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From his humble Hollywood beginnings as a child television actor to his current status as one of the most famous film stars in the world, Leonardo DiCaprio has pretty much done it all. I finally got a chance to see him in Quentin Tarantino’s latest, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, on video last night so I thought it would be fun to rank his all-time top 10 performances. Does his latest role make the list? Read on and find out!

Django Unchained (2012) – Yes, DiCaprio’s repugnant plantation owner Calvin Candie is over-the-top camp, but like so many of writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s wilder characters, he’s tons of fun. DiCaprio plays against type here as the racist bad guy against Jamie Foxx’s heroic ex-slave and new bounty hunter, Django Freeman.

Titanic (1997) – Of course this is the role that made DiCaprio a movie star so it had to be on my list somewhere. Young, handsome, and undeniably charismatic, DiCaprio won the heart of Kate Winslet’s Rose and movie-goers everywhere as the charming but ultimately doomed Jack.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) – This light-hearted Spielberg-directed film tells the story of real-life conman Frank Abagnale Jr. and his early life of crime as he’s pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty. This role probably wasn’t as challenging as some of the others on this list, but DiCaprio is a joy to watch as he fools people into thinking he’s a teacher, an airline pilot, and a doctor all while cashing forged checks everywhere he goes.

Shutter Island (2010) – Most critics don’t hold this movie in as high a regard as many other Martin Scorsese films, but I really liked it. It’s a puzzle of a story and DiCaprio does a great job of keeping us in the dark as to the true nature of his character as he navigates the mysterious mental hospital where he’s been called to solve a case.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) – If there’s one thing Tarantino does well, it’s creating memorable characters. Leo plays washed up cowboy actor Rick Dalton who is trying to hold onto a sinking career in 1969 unaware that Charlie Manson and his gang are planning to murder his neighbors. For a star who remains on top of the world, DiCaprio does a fantastic job of presenting an actor who reached for the golden ring and never quite attained it.

The Departed (2006) – Scorsese has made several great films with DiCaprio and this is one of the best. DiCaprio plays state trooper Billy Costigan who goes undercover to infiltrate the Boston mob and ferret out a suspected mole on the force. DiCaprio brings just the right mix of bravado and vulnerability to the role and he more than holds his own in a stellar cast.

Inception (2010) – Anyone who reads this blog regularly is probably familiar with my appreciation of director Christopher Nolan’s work and my particular fondness for his sci-fi masterpiece, Inception. DiCaprio is darn near perfect as the brilliant but emotionally damaged lead, Dom Cobb.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) – Still a teenager at the time, this is the movie that helped DiCaprio make the leap from television to film. His performance as mentally-impaired Arnie Grape showed the world he was much more than just a cute kid. He was in fact a star in the making.

The Revenant (2015) – DiCaprio’s only Best Actor Oscar so far was awarded to him for this gritty performance as a frontiersman in the early 1800s on a mission of revenge against the man who killed his son. The cinematography is amazing in this movie, but it’s DiCaprio’s steely-eyed determination that really brings the story to life.

The Aviator (2004) – One of four films to earn DiCaprio an Oscar nomination, he plays the legendary eccentric, millionaire, playboy, businessman, and aviator Howard Hughes. The best actor award wound up going to Jamie Foxx for his excellent turn as Ray Charles in Ray, but to me, this is DiCaprio’s greatest performance to date and his best collaboration with Scorsese. I completely forgot I was watching an actor when I saw this movie the first time. That’s the mark of a great performance.

No The Wolf of Wall Street? No Blood Diamond? Nope! DiCaprio has had such a fantastic career those two Oscar-nominated performances didn’t even make my list. With another four projects on his slate right now, including two more Scorsese films, who knows how many more great roles he’ll rack up before he’s done. If your favorite didn’t make my list, tell me about it in the comments section below.

5 Actors That Could Be the Next Joker

For any of you that don’t follow my writing or social media very closely, I recently published some Joker fan fiction based on today’s political climate called "Everything Burns". It was a fun exercise and a way to pay homage to the only superhero I’ve ever really loved. Imagine my surprise when big official Joker news was announced the day I released my final chapter.

Martin Scorsese, famous director of films including Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed plans to make a new Joker film. Scorsese is renowned for gritty crime stories featuring tight screenwriting and stellar casts. Sadly, he only plans to produce the movie. Todd Phillips of Hangover fame is slated to direct. That might not be all bad. Phillips most recent effort was the underrated War Dogs. Worse though is that the pair plan to make an origin film. This could mean ruining some of the Joker’s mystique and almost certainly means they’ll cast a young actor to play the part.

I hope they change their minds. I don’t want to see a 20-something Joker. I don’t want to know how he got started on his life of crime or where he got those horrific scars. The scariest villains are the ones we don’t know much about. Don’t believe me? Recall Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy then picture Jake Lloyd podracing or Hayden Christensen whining about getting sand in his shorts. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

I suggest they rethink their plan and come up with a story about an older, meaner Joker instead. Maybe something that takes place in Arkham Asylum. I’d love to see a Joker film in the vein of Scorsese’s Shutter Island. I don’t think anyone can top Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning turn in The Dark Knight, but who best to take on the challenge? Jared Leto wasn’t terrible in Suicide Squad, but I’m thinking someone else of Oscar caliber be given a shot. Here are five potentials.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Brad Pitt

We need an actor that can sell a lot of tickets while simultaneously losing his self in the role. An actor we can’t take our eyes off of as he comes completely unhinged. We could do a lot worse than three-time acting Oscar nominee Brad Pitt. He’s played crazy in films such as 12 Monkeys and Fight Club and you don’t get much grittier performances than his work in Inglourious Basterds, Fury, Killing Them Softly, or The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Image Credit: MaximoTV

Johnny Depp

Crazy, you say? There aren’t many actors who do crazy better than Johnny Depp. Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd, Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Whitey Bulger… you get the idea. Depp can actually be too over-the-top if you let him, but I think the chance to work with Scorsese might bring out the very best in Depp, another three-time Oscar nominee.

Image Credit: Alamy

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin comes with some baggage and a reputation of sometimes being hard to work with, but he has an amazing body of work. Yet another three-time Oscar nominee, you know him from 8MM, Gladiator, Walk the Line, The Master, and Her. He brings a particular brand of intensity and menace that would translate well into the role of Batman’s most dangerous enemy.

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Leonardo DiCaprio

With a long-time working relationship with Scorsese that already includes five films and a sixth currently in production, DiCaprio seems like one of the most obvious choices. This Best Actor Oscar winner and four-time nominee has starred in many critically acclaimed and successful films including Titanic, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, Inception, and The Revenant. Despite his good looks he’s been known to disappear into roles and would provide a unique take on such an iconic character.

Image Credit: Prabook

Daniel Day Lewis

Older than my other candidates, he’s also the most accomplished of the bunch. He recently announced his retirement from acting, but if anyone could bring him back, it’s Scorsese. Lewis has won the Best Actor Oscar three times and been nominated for it twice more including for Gangs of New York. I can’t think of someone who could play Joker better and if you’re not sure, go watch There Will Be Blood. Lewis is as dark, intimidating and mean as they come.