While looking at the story of DiCaprio's meteoric rise to fame, this updated edition delves beneath his polished Hollywood image to examine just what makes him tick It was only the beginning when Leonardo DiCaprio stood astride the bow in Titanic. Leo has rocketed to become one of the highest paid actors in the world, and his position looks set to be secure for some time to come as the release of a new 3D version of Titanic heralds another sensational year for one of Hollywood’s hottest talents. Recently Leo has taken on the lead role in a new adaptation of The Great Gatsby and as the villain in Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster Django Unchained . Both are a far cry from the heartthrob’s humble beginnings when he had to scrape for parts in TV commercials and soap operas before his eye catching performance in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet . Cementing his reputation with captivating performances in films like Catch Me If You Can and The Departed , DiCaprio won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator . A keen environmentalist and conservationist, he has given millions to good causes around the globe and has never been shy about wearing his political ideals on his sleeve. Yet, although he’s spent over 15 years at the top of his profession, Leonardo remains something of an enigma. He has famously dated some of the world’s most beautiful women but seems no nearer to settling down, and his often daring movie choices suggest someone still striving for perfection despite his stunning successes. Douglas Wight  is a former reporter for the Sun. He held news and features editor positions for the News of the World , and for the last three years before its closure he was Books Editor. He is now a writer. Leonardo Dicaprio The Biography By Douglas Wigh John Blake Publishing Ltd Copyright © 2013 Frank Worrall All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-78219-727-0 Contents Title Page, Dedication, PROLOGUE, Chapter 1: SCUMSVILLE, Chapter 2: INTRODUCING LENNY WILLIAMS, Chapter 3: EARLY REJECTIONS, Chapter 4: CATCHING THE EYE, Chapter 5: MAKING A KILLING, Chapter 6: FOLLOWING THE RIVER, Chapter 7: A DOUBLE TRAGEDY, Chapter 8: A MODERN DAY ROMEO, Chapter 9: LEO RISING ... AND FALLING, Chapter 10: CREATING A MONSTER, Chapter 11: THE LAUNCH OF 'LEO-MANIA', Chapter 12: LOSING IT, Chapter 13: TROUBLE IN PARADISE, Chapter 14: THE LEO TAMER, Chapter 15: OWNING DECEMBER, Chapter 16: BECOMING THE AVIATOR, Chapter 17: THE PARTED, Chapter 18: BEST BAR NONE, Chapter 19: GOING GREEN, Chapter 20: UNDER FIRE, Chapter 21: BAROMETER OF TRUTH, Chapter 22: ARE THEY, AREN'T THEY?, Chapter 23: DREAM MAN, Chapter 24: LOOKING LIVELY, Chapter 25: THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN AMERICA, Chapter 26: THE MODELISER, Chapter 27: THE LONE WOLF, Chapter 28: THE GREAT CATCHBY, EPILOGUE, FILMOGRAPHY, Plates, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 SCUMSVILLE Life for Leo really began not on the mean streets of Los Angeles where, famously, he was raised, but back in semi-rural Germany during the Second World War. For an episode then was to have a massive bearing on whether the world would ever be blessed with his talents at all. Helene Indenbirken was a young mother whose daughter Irmelin was just two when she suffered a broken leg and had to be admitted to hospital. The local infirmary near their home in Oer-Erkenschwick, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, was understaffed and over-stretched. As little Irmelin lay in bed supposedly recuperating, as the nurses believed, no one took the time to notice that she was actually, silently, wasting away. As the wards became flooded with more refugees and war-wounded, the nurses on duty had less time to deal with the apparently non-life-threatening cases. Only Helene, who'd arrived in Germany as a Russian immigrant called Yelena Smirnova, recognised something was gravely wrong with her infant child. Seeing that resources were stretched to breaking point and realising if something wasn't done quickly then her daughter could die, Helene took it upon herself to diagnose and administer the care Irmelin so desperately needed. What should have been a routine recuperation turned into an agonising ordeal for Helene as Irmelin developed infection after infection and spent a staggering two-and-a-half years in hospital, fighting for her life. Emaciated and malnourished, her stomach became distended and at times, Helene feared she would not make it. But, thanks to her dedication and determination, the youngster gradually recovered and eventually was strong enough to leave hospital while the war raged on. When Helene's sole concern was her daughter's life she could never have believed that the outcome of those crucial first few months in hospital would have had such a bearing on the family's fortunes but it is something Leonardo has never failed to appreciate. Speaking of his mother's battle for life, he said: 'She ended up contracting five or six major illnes