Leonardo DiCaprio has delivered some powerful performances over his career, but one of his best comes from an early starring role. After impressing critics in young roles like This Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? DiCaprio became a legitimate star thanks to his role as Jack Dawson in тιтanic.
DiCaprio’s career as a mature actor really soared thanks to his appearances in several Martin Scorsese movies. This led to more acclaimed work and accolades, as DiCaprio ended up winning an Oscar for his performance in The Revenant. He has also worked with some of the biggest filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, and Quentin Tarantino.
DiCaprio will team with another acclaimed auteur in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. However, those fans who are looking for a great DiCaprio performance should look to the earlier days of his career.
The Basketball Diaries Features A Raw DiCaprio Performance
DiCaprio Plays A Young Drug Addict In The Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio’s career as a leading man really began with The Basketball Diaries. The movie is based on the autobiographical novel by Jim Carroll that follows his teenage years, which were taken over by drug addiction. DiCaprio stars as Jim, playing the young athlete and writer whose life is filled with potential before he begins using heroin.
It is a harrowing descent that the character takes, and DiCaprio commits to the brutality of it all.
The film features other young actors, like Mark Wahlberg and Michael Imperioli, in early roles, but it is DiCaprio who proved himself capable of taking on truly challenging projects. The film was not well received by critics, earning 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was generally agreed by all that DiCaprio’s performance was the highlight of the movie.
Jim is a complex character, as the audience needs to be charmed by him and root for him before they’re devastated by his life falling apart. DiCaprio plays the grounded teen effectively, showing how an ordinary kid can take a dark turn. It is a harrowing descent that the character takes, and DiCaprio commits to the brutality of it all.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Other Most Emotional Performances
DiCaprio Has Continued To Deliver Committed And Layered Performances For Decades
The Basketball Diaries was an early glimpse at the kind of depth Leonardo DiCaprio had as an actor, which he would show throughout his career. In fact, an even earlier performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? stunned many people and earned DiCaprio his first Oscar nomination. His performance as the young boy in that movie was uplifting and heartbreaking.
However, it is his roles as an adult that really showcase his raw power as a performer. The Aviator is perhaps DiCaprio’s most underrated performance as he captures the complexities of the controversial figure, Howard Hughes. The performance combines the admirable ambition of the man, the deep flaws, and the struggles with mental health.
Of course, the story of Hugh Glᴀss in The Revenant gives DiCaprio one of his most intense roles of his career. It is certainly a physical role, showing the relentless fight for survival Glᴀss undertook, but it is also a deeply emotional performance as he faces a world in which he has lost everything.
Even in more genre fair, like Shutter Island and Inception, DiCaprio is able to elevate the story with a committed and real performance. However, anyone who saw the young actor in The Basketball Diaries back in 1995 likely knew he was destined for big things.
