HOLLYWOOD – Leonardo DiCaprio has won an Academy Award for best actor for his role as a betrayed 19th century frontiersman in The Revenant. The nomination was DiCaprio’s fifth in an acting capacity but it is the first time he has won an Oscar.
The actor used his acceptance speech to warn about the effects of global warming, saying “Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take this night for granted…”
On several occasions, the 41-year-old American actor spoke for the balance in our ecosystem.
“Clean air, water, and a livable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics, it is a question of our own survival.”
DiCaprio established a foundation in 1998 with a mission to promote the Earth’s last wild places and build a more harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.
According to the UN, the foundation through grants, media projects and public campaigns and appearances by DiCaprio, has brought attention and funds to three areas – protecting biodiversity, conservation of oceans and forests, and climate change.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated to the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants. Through collaborative partnerships, the foundation supports innovative projects that protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, while restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities.
LDF works in 4 key areas: Protecting Biodiversity, Oceans, Conservation, Wildlands Conservation, Climate, and Change.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie roles have made him an international star, but his long and little-known commitment to preserving the global environment also earned him the role as a UN Messenger of Peace.
In 2014, the American actor joined 11 other prominent world figures who advocate on behalf of the UN as Messengers of Peace including Stevie Wonder, Michael Douglas, George Clooney, Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, primatologist Jane Goodall and conductor Daniel Barenboim.
“There is no doubt to the world’s scientific community that this is a direct result of human activity and the effects of climate change will become astronomically worse in the future.”
“His global stardom is the perfect match for this global challenge,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
DiCaprio gained international fame for his role in “Titanic” and has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including for “Aviator” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” He won Golden Globes for his performance in “Aviator” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
And finally after being nominated for seven times in the past, DiCaprio won his first Oscar award Sunday night, Feb 29, 2016.
A day he certainly will never “take for granted.”
