There are two things that every fan of Leonardo DiCaprio’s work knows: that he is one of the best actors alive, and two, that the Academy seems to hate him. Even Leo’s early roles were examples of top-notch acting. Every year or so Leo stars in another critically-acclaimed movie where his acting is praised, but another year goes by without an Oscar. If he does win in 2016, it wouldn’t be the first time the honor was deserved.
Here are Leo’s most Oscar-worthy roles:
1. “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013), as Jordan Belfort
Nominated: Yes
Jordan Belfort as portrayed in this movie is a despicable human being, but Leo makes you kind of admire him. His portrayal is humorous, energetic, and dare I say, inspiring.
2. “The Departed” (2006), as Billy Costigan
Nominated: No
^Leo's response when receiving the news that he wasn't even nominated for this role.
3. “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” (1993), as Arnie Grape
Nominated: Yes
The prime example of Leo's excellent acting at a young age. This is not an easy role, but he nailed it.
4. “The Basketball Diaries” (1995), as Jim Carroll
Nominated: No
Another very convincing role early on in Leo's career. As one of the first leading roles in his career, this is one of the movies that really began breaking him out to a wider audience, culminating in massive superstardom after Titanic, of course.
5. “Django Unchained” (2012), as Calvin J. Candie
Nominated: No
A terrifying role. Again, impeccably acted, but this time? Not even a nomination. When he accidentally cuts his hand (in real life) during filming one of the scenes, he doesn't even break character, and it winds up being of the most intense scenes in the film.
Will 2016 finally be the year Leo gets his Oscar for his role as Hugh Glass in “The Revenant?”