Leonardo DiCaprio: Actor or Celebrity?

Leonardo DiCaprio - it's fair to ask the question whether the quintessential Hollywood star has fallen into the category of "celebrity," while rendering his craft as an actor secondary. The issue is particularly provocative this year as DiCaprio was not only overlooked for an Oscar, but could not even score a nomination for what many thought was an awe-inspiring performance opposite Kate Winslet in Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road. With a slew of top acting performances by Sean Penn, Frank Langella, Mickey Rourke, and Brad Pitt securing nominations, DiCaprio was curiously also edged out by Richard Jenkins in the little-seen The Visitor.

DiCaprio's plight can not yet be labeled disrespect. One can argue that it is not yet even a plight. Leonardo DiCaprio is far too young with many potential Oscars lined up in the years to come. But to date, DiCaprio has only been nominated for three Academy Awards...two for Best Actor in Blood Diamond and The Aviator, and one as Supporting Actor for What's Eating Gilbert Grape way back in 1994. He was completely unrecognized by the Academy for his efforts in such other high profile films such as: Titanic, which netted an astounding 11 Oscars and was nominated for three more including Kate Winslet for Best Actress; Gangs of New York, which was nominated for 10 Oscars including Daniel Day-Lewis with whom DiCaprio starred, as Best Actor, and Martin Scorcese as Best Director; Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg; and The Departed, which won four Academy Awards, including Scorcese's elusive first Oscar.

To be certain, DiCaprio is not the only accomplished Hollywood thespian to be perceived as less the actor than movie star/celebrity. After all, Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton were Oscar-less. The great Henry Fonda only finally took home an Oscar for On Golden Pond just before his death after generations of stellar work. Lauren Bacall, Myrna Loy and Barbara Stanwyck also never won an Oscar. Of DiCaprio's famous contemporaries, he's in good company with Brad Pitt, who has also never won the prize. But George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Sean Penn, for example, have all taken the gold home.

This year's snub for DiCaprio is particularly telling, however. Many reviewers and filmgoers marveled at his performance in this year's Revolutionary Road. Indeed, it was a tour-de-force...powerful, impactful, emotional, passionate. Yet the Academy chose to nominate Richard Jenkins. Though he is a fine actor in a wonderful, small film, it seems implausible that Academy voters placed these films, and performances, side by side and consciously selected Jenkins instead of DiCaprio.

As mentioned, he has several films ready to roll over the next couple of years, so he has ample opportunity to re-establish his image as an actor worthy of the industry's most notable acknowledgment. But not making the cut in 2009 has got to sting.