In 1997 , DiCaprio starred in James Cameron 's '' Titanic '' ( 1997 ) as twenty-year-old Jack Dawson , a penniless Wisconsin man who wins two tickets for the third-class on the ill-fated RMS '' Titanic '' . DiCaprio initially refused to portray the character but was eventually encouraged to pursue the role by Cameron , who strongly believed in his acting ability . Against expectations , the film went on to become the highest-grossing film to date ( it was surpassed in 2010 by Cameron 's film '' Avatar '' ) , grossing more than $ 1.84 billion in box-office receipts worldwide , and transformed DiCaprio into a commercial movie superstar , resulting in fan worship among teenage girls and young women in general that became known as " Leo-Mania " . In May 1998 , for example , his face appeared on the covers of at least four teen magazines , and three books about DiCaprio were among the top six paperbacks on '' The New York Times '' Best Seller list . More than 200 fans contacted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to protest him not being nominated for the 70th Academy Awards . He was nominated for other high-profile awards , including a second Golden Globe nomination . Upon the success of '' Titanic '' , DiCaprio stated in 2000 : " I have no connection with me during that whole '' Titanic '' phenomenon and what my face became around the world ... I 'll never reach that state of popularity again , and I do n't expect to . It 's not something I 'm going to try to achieve either . " That year , he also starred in the dual roles of the villainous King Louis XIV and his secret , sympathetic twin brother Philippe in Randall Wallace 's '' The Man in the Iron Mask '' , based on the same-titled 1939 film . Despite receiving a rather mixed to negative response , the film became a box office success , grossing US$ 180 million internationally . Though DiCaprio 's performance was generally well-received , with '' Entertainment Weekly '' critic Owen Gleiberman writing that " the shockingly androgynous DiCaprio looks barely old enough to be playing anyone with hormones , but he 's a fluid and instinctive actor , with the face of a mischievous angel , " he was awarded a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple for both incarnations the following year
70th Academy Awards
70th Academy Awards
Leonardo DiCaprio