2. The Departed (2006)
Probably his greatest to date, yet one that didnt earn him a nomination for reasons none can entirely be sure of, rumours that Jack Nicholson demanded to be considered in the Best Actor in a Leading Role as opposed to supporting which made the academy refuse a lead nomination for anyone from The Departed. He was also nominated this year for Blood Diamond so that might have put the academy off nominating again. His performance as Billy Costigan was the most memorable in a film which brought career bests from Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson as his mental best. Fraying, internally tortured and constantly on edge his was a whirlwind of a display that helped make this film a true thriller of the crime genre from its incredible opening to its shocking end. The Departed sparked my love for film on an ill day in my early teens and DiCaprios performance was the brightest spark of it. Like Blood Diamond, he lost out to Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland.