Happy Birthday Leonardo DiCaprio: ‘J. Edgar’ Star Turns 37 [PHOTOS]

Leonardo DiCaprio will have a very happy birthday on Friday, as the star turns 37 years old on the same day his film, J. Edgar, opens worldwide.

Born Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio in Los Angeles, Calif. on Nov. 11, 1974, the actor was an only child growing up. His parents divorced when he was young and DiCaprio was raised by his mother Irmelin.

His first gigs included the TV shows Parenthood, Roseanne and a recurring role on Growing Pains.

In 1993, DiCaprio earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, opposite Johnny Depp.

Now, DiCaprio is one of the highest earning actors in Hollywood - in fact, he topped 2010 with $77 million in earnings, beating Depp for first place.

In J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood, DiCaprio plays J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the United States FBI. And already, the role is earning DiCaprio plenty of Oscar buzz.

Eastwood is the latest world class director DiCaprio has collaborated with, joining the ranks of Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island), Steven Spielberg (Catch Me If You Can) and Christopher Nolan (Inception).

Gone are the days of Titanic, Romeo + Juliet and the films that made DiCaprio an instant heartthrob for millions of screaming fans around the world (and the birth of Leomania).

More than a decade ago, DiCaprio was the go-to cover boy for magazines like Teen People, Seventeen, YM and Tiger Beat.

Over the years, the actor has graduated to the covers of Details, GQ, Vanity Fair and the like. DiCaprio has also aged well, considering the pressures from Hollywood, critics and beyond.

DiCaprio has remained a fairly quiet celebrity, appearing at the occasional LA Lakers game (court side seats, of course). He's also stuck to his model girlfriends (except for a small hiccup earlier this year, when DiCaprio dated actress Blake Lively for a few months).

As for his private life, DiCaprio has kept it, well, private.

I've never really talked about that kind of stuff, and, very respectfully, I'm going to keep it that way, DiCaprio told the New York Times in a recent interview.

Next up for DiCaprio, is The Great Gatsby, the big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's beloved classic novel. The film, currently in production in Australia, also stars Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan.

Scroll down for a photo tribute to Leonardo DiCaprio, who turns 37 years old on Friday.

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