Every Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Ranked Worst To Best

It's interesting returning to DiCaprio's big break in the family drama What's Eating Gilbert Grape, because it feels like a snapshot into the career of an actor we never got to see. After its success, he was quick to reinvent himself.

As the young, autistic brother of the drama's titular lost soul, DiCaprio's performance steers clear of stereotypes and regressive clichés, instead allowing Arnie to burst from the screen as lovable as he is confused, adoring, and onerous. It's a tough role that could have aged poorly, but DiCaprio's dignified portrayal never oversteps.

Scoring him his first Oscar nomination, the quietly devastating drama sent DiCaprio straight to the top, and though the next two years saw him struggle to find his footing, watching it now makes it clear why he became such a monumental star.