Leonardo DiCaprio may well walk away with his very first Oscar in 2016 after receiving rave reviews for his role in new film The Revenant. The 41-year-old has been tipped to be fifth time lucky at February's Academy Awards, with suggestions that he will finally win the Best Actor award after losing out on his four previous nominations.
The actor has said that shooting the movie, in which he plays real-life frontiersman Hugh Glass, was "the most difficult film, I think, that any of us have ever done." Leonardo had a number of challenging scenes, including one which showed him being mauled by a grizzly bear and left for dead by members of his expedition team.
His companions also rob him and murder his half-Native American son.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLeonardo DiCaprio has been tipped to win an Oscar in 2016
Leonardo's character spends much of the film alone and is left nearly speechless by the injury, leaving the actor communicating his emotions and pain wordlessly.
He is not the only person associated with the film who is tipped for Oscar success; Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki is likely to gain his third nod from the Academy in a row following wins for Birdman in 2015 and Gravity in 2014.
Leonardo received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape when he was just 19 years old. He has since gone on to receive a further three nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performances in The Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Wolf of Wall Street, but has unfortunately missed out on the prize each time.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLeonardo received his first Oscars nomination when he was 19
On receiving his first Oscar nomination, Leonardo has previously described the experience as "nerve-wracking". Speaking to Deadline magazine in 2014, the actor explained: "Things just happened so quickly. Out of nowhere a nomination came about and I remember being completely shocked.
"My first reaction was being terrified of ever having to go up onstage in front of a billion people. Someone said 'a billion people watch this' and I thought, 'Oh my God, it's not like doing a movie where you get a second or third take.' Everyone's watching every word you say. It's a nerve-racking thought."
Leonardo will find out if he is in for a chance of winning when the nominations are announced on 14 January. The 88th Academy Awards will be hosted by Chris Rock at the Dolby Theatre on 28 February.
