Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Leonardo DiCaprio started his career by appearing in television commercials prior to landing recurring roles in TV series such as the soap opera Santa Barbara and the sitcom Growing Pains in the early 1990s. He made his film debut in the comedic sci-fi horror film Critters 3 (1991) and received first notable critical praise for his performance in This Boy's Life (1993). DiCaprio achieved recognition for his subsequent work in supporting roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), The Basketball Diaries (1995), and Marvin's Room (1996) before landing a leading role in Romeo + Juliet (1996), and came to international fame with his role in James Cameron's Titanic (1997).
