As a young boy, I was obsessed with endangered species and the extinct species that men killed off. Biology was the subject in school that I was incredibly passionate about.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I am completely open to doing a romantic comedy, but I will never do something just for the sake of doing a specific genre or because it's the time or place to do a different type of movie. I think that would be a huge mistake.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I did imitations of anyone who came to my parents' house, and that was my identity at school - if there were ten minutes to lunch, and the teacher was done with the lesson, he'd say, 'Okay, Leo, get up there and do something.'

— Leonardo DiCaprio

If you can do what you do best and be happy, you're further along in life than most people.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I get a friend to travel with me... I need somebody to bring me back to who I am. It's hard to be alone.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I get unhappy doing things that I'm not passionate about. Because I feel like I'm squandering this incredible gift I've been given to finance films. As soon as my name alone was enough to make this happen, I vowed to myself that I was going to work with directors who were changing cinema, doing something important, you know?

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I grew up when I was 15 when I had my first opportunity in movies. I watched every great movie for a year and a half, and since then I've asked myself how I can emulate such artistry. That's really my motivation. I want to do something as good as my heroes have done.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I'm not the kind of person who tries to be cool or trendy, I'm definitely an individual.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I prefer ordinary girls - you know, college students, waitresses, that sort of thing. Most of the girls I go out with are just good friends. Just because I go out to the cinema with a girl, it doesn't mean we are dating.

— Leonardo DiCaprio

I realize that I do not change the course of history. I am an actor, I do a movie, that's the end of it. You have to realize we are just clowns for hire. After I had success it was great, at first, not to worry about money. It was on my mind when I was growing up.

— Leonardo DiCaprio