Leonardo DiCaprio has combined box office and critical success to become one of Hollywood's brightest stars. The former child actor has worked with top-shelf directors Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Baz Luhrmann, Woody Allen, and James Cameron in developing the most impressive film resume of his generation. Born November 11, 1974 at 2:47 am in Los Angeles, Leo combines the intensity of his Scorpio Sun with the balance of a Libra Moon and Ascendant that makes for a highly complex personality. His flaxen hair and roundish face top off a lanky body that almost makes him look like a stick figure. Boyish and profound, demanding of himself and distant with the press, Leo's a bit of mystery, which is usually the way Scorpio likes it.

The dance between accessibility and privacy is one Leonardo knows all too well. Venus, the planet of attraction, was conjunct his Scorpio Sun when he was born. This tends to make someone seductive, although he is not obvious about playing with his powers of magnetism. He probably just feels it and knows that he can reel people in without coming on strong. With passionate Mars also in Scorpio it might be surprising that he hasn't developed a Colin Farrell-type rep for bed jumping. But Saturn, the planet of restraint and commitment, forms a supportive 120-degree trine to Leo's Sun-Venus conjunction that favors longevity over variety when it comes to love.

Leo's intelligence comes through on screen and in his concern for environmental issues, and this is clearly supported in his birth chart as well. Mercury, the planet of intellect, is right next to Uranus, the symbol of brilliance and originality. He's inventive and unconventional in his thinking, someone who definitely will not follow the pack, but who restlessly seeks new ideas and projects to satisfy his boundless curiosity. A Mercury-Uranus conjunction, though, can make it hard for him to compromise conceptually and virtually impossible for him to follow traditional lines of thinking. It follows that Leo was the driving force behind making 'The Aviator,' in which he played the obsessive genius Howard Hughes, a man not unlike himself.

Likable Libra Rising in a chart adds charm and often good looks. Leonardo's Moon in Libra brings yet another note of grace. However, brooding Pluto sits powerfully between these two points, dampening the lightness associated with this sign. Libra loves to please, and Leo's certainly capable of doing that, but Pluto prefers to hold the reins of personality tightly and hates to appear superficial. Privacy is a must for the actor who needs to spend more of his time looking into the depths of his soul than chatting with the press about his latest picture. Yes, Leo does take himself seriously, as well he should. Serious Saturn forms a tough right-angle square with his Libra Moon, adding a distinctly somber tone to this otherwise bright and shiny sign. The man wants impact more than he wants to be loved. He needs to feel as if his work can save the world, rather than divert attention from real problems. Leonardo DiCaprio will not play the violin while the Titanic sinks. He will, like the lost hero Jack, struggle mightily and give his life, if necessary, to make a difference.

About the Author
Jeff Jawer is the co-author of Barnes & Noble's "Your Astrology Guide 2006." A professional astrologer since 1973, his articles have appeared in astrology journals and magazines and websites around the world. He holds a B.A. in The History and Science of Astrology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and teaches and lectures both in the U.S. and abroad.