Leonardo DiCaprio is renowned for his acting talents, but he once considered a career path far removed from the silver screen. Known for his roles in films like *Titanic*, *The Wolf of Wall Street*, *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*, and *Catch Me If You Can*, DiCaprio has been a staple in Hollywood for years.
Beginning his journey in entertainment as a child, he secured his first acting gig on the children’s show *Romper Room* at just five years old. However, acting was not his only passion; he was also deeply interested in breakdancing, to the point where he almost left the entertainment industry to pursue it.
In a 1994 Interview Magazine feature, DiCaprio opened up about his school experience, admitting academics weren’t his forte.
“School, I never truly got the knack of,” he explained. “I could never focus on things I didn’t want to learn. Math is just the worst. To this day, I can’t concentrate on it. People always say, ‘You should have tried harder.’ But actually, I cheated a lot because I could not sit and do homework.”
DiCaprio continued, “Most of the other stuff that I got from school was from hanging out with friends and meeting kids. I used to, like, take half of the school and do breakdancing skits with my friend in front of them at lunchtime.”
He also reminisced about a science class where the teacher allowed him ten minutes after class to perform improv.
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In the same interview, he described having a ‘punk haircut’ at age 10 due to his interest in breakdancing.
Years later, during a 2004 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the topic resurfaced when she questioned him about considering leaving acting at the age of 11 to become a breakdancer.
Winfrey also brought up his nickname ‘The Noodle,’ which he confirmed was accurate.
DiCaprio mentioned to Winfrey, “Don’t ask me to breakdance because I’ve since lost my moves.”
Despite his modesty, many would argue that his dance skills are still intact. Those who have seen *The Wolf of Wall Street* might recall a memorable dance scene at his character’s wedding to Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie), where he showcases some notable moves.
It seems the love for dance never quite left him.