Oscar Preview: The Leading Man – Leonardo DiCaprio

Every week from now until the critics groups start giving out their prizes for the best of the year, I’m going to be spotlighting the big Oscar players and their chances at Oscar glory this year.

Back to the actors, we have an actor who earned his first nomination at a young age and has emerged as one of the screen’s classic leadign men: Leonardo DiCaprio

At the age of 16, Leonardo DiCaprio made his first appearance as an actor in a handful of 1990 productions including regular roles on soap opera Santa Barbara and the short-lived first incarnation of Parenthood. The next year, he got his first big screen credit in the hardly seen horror sequel Critters 3. Afterwards, he had a successful run on Growing Pains, which gave him a great deal of attention, but it was his dual appearances at age 19 in This Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape that earned him the attention that would set him on the path to stardom and his first Oscar nomination. Over the next four years, his performances in the films The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet and Marvin’s Room earned him further acclaim, but in 1997, the role of a lifetime made him one of the biggest names in the world, that of one of a pair of non-Shakespearean star-crossed lovers in James Cameron’s massive Titanic.

At the time, there was a lot of talk about DiCaprio picking up his second nomination, this time in lead opposite Kate Winslet in the box office juggernaut, but like with Marvin’s Room the year before, his co-star picked up a nomination while he was left out. With his new popularity, the studios pushed him towards quick buck-making by plugging him into 1998’s popular, but unimpressive-in-Titanic’s-shadow The Man in the Iron Mask and 200’s flop The Beach. Taking a step back from the blockbuster, DiCaprio signed on for two roles that would position him for not just a comeback, but the start of a new phase of his career.

Both released in 2002, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese reversed DiCaprio’s sliding course putting him into position for further Oscar consideration that would not materialize. Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can was a box office success, but Scorsese’s Gangs of New York gave him a needed boost with critics and led him to a multi-year collaboration with Scorsese that would create one of the most interesting partnerships currently in Hollywood.

Two years later, Scorsese would give DiCaprio his second Oscar nomination, this time in the elusive lead category, with his Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator opposite the magnificent Cate Blanchett, DiCaprio held strong and delivered a terrific performance that cemented his place as an Oscar cotnender for years to come. In two years, he would launch another pair of films with strong Oscar prospects, Scorsese’s The Departed and the film that would earn him his third nomination, Blood Diamond. It’s now been five years since his last Oscar nomination. 2008 held promise with his excellent performance in Revolutionary Road opposite his Titanic co-star Winslet. This time however, not even Winslet would pick up a nod and the film’s sole acting recognition went to Michael Shannon in Supporting Actor. That year’s Body of Lies was another misstep that few even remember today.

Last year, in two high profile and successul films, DiCaprio reached a plateau of success that may not carry forward to this year’s Oscar vehicle but was nevertheless impressive. Under Scorsese’s direction, DiCaprio lead the intriguing cast in the strange, but rewarding Shutter Island and then followed it up in the Summer with megablockbuser Inception. Neither film earned him consideration for Oscar which should come as little surprise. Now, he is positioned for his fourth Oscar nomination, a prospect that becomes increasingly likely each day as Clint Eastwood takes the talented leading man and puts him to the test in another biopic role as famous queer CIA director J. Edgar Hoover.

J. Edgar

Even when Clint Eastwood faces critical ennui, his actors tend to pick up nominations. J. Edgar, however, may buck his recent trend as the concept feels right for the Academy’s proclivities. DiCaprio as the lead and Armie Hammer as Hoover’s paramour should be among the cast members getting consideration. The film itself, set in a popular historical period should push just the right buttons and earn Clint more recognition and pull along DiCaprio who should have no problem picking up his fourth nod..

Forecast Categories (where the film is most likely to compete): Picture, Director, Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas), Supporting Actress (Judi Dench, Naomi Watts), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing