Not just one of the most iconic actors Hollywood has ever seen, with a huge filmography that includes Titanic, Inception, and The Great Gatsby to mention a few, Leonardo DiCaprio has also made a name for himself in the environmental world, too.
When awarded the Oscar for best performance by an actor in a leading role for his part in The Revenant, he used his acceptance speech to urge a global audience to reject the “politics of greed”, and support leaders willing to take action against climate change. The actor has long had a passion for the planet, having established The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (leonardodicaprio.org) with the mission of ‘protecting vulnerable wildlife and restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities’. Since it was set up in 1998, the foundation has funded over 200 projects in 50 countries and five oceans, which support 132 climate change organisations. Plus, it has donated $100million in grant money to charitable causes that help the planet. Furthermore, through his foundation, Leonardo has produced a number of media projects, including two short online films Water Planet and Global Warning, to educate people on environmental issues. His most notable works is a documentary in collaboration with National Geographic titled Before the Flood, which shows the effects of climate change.