Five things you might not know about Killers of Flower Moon star Leonardo DiCaprio

Killers of the Flower Moon, director Martin Scorsese’s latest movie, is released in theatres across the United States on Friday 20 October.

Based on the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann, the film chronicles a series of murders perpetrated on Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma, following the discovery of oil on tribal land.

In addition to Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon stars 2016 Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio - an actor who, like De Niro, has worked with Scorsese on numerous occasions.

Ahead of the release of this eagerly-anticipated movie, we bring you five facts that you may not know about DiCaprio.

Named over Da Vinci kick

DiCaprio is named after the Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci. In a 2012 biography of the Hollywood icon, the author Douglas Wight explains that DiCaprio’s pregnant mother first felt him kick while she was looking at a Da Vinci painting in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, leading her to settle on the name Leonardo.

Began acting in TV ads

One of the few prominent child actors who have managed to maintain a successful career into adulthood, DiCaprio started out on television commercials. After his mother began taking him to auditions when he was a teenager, he landed his first part as a 14-year-old, appearing in an advert for Matchbox cars.

Leo look was banned in Afghanistan

After the success of the 1997 film Titanic, ‘Leomania’ began to spread throughout the world. According to The List, the hair cut he sported in the movie - known as ‘the Mushroom’ - became hugely popular among youngsters in Afghanistan.

In response, the country’s Taliban rulers banned both DiCaprio’s hair style and the film itself, and even arrested hairdressers who had been giving customers the cut. They believed it went against Islam - and that its flowing fringe would interfere with people’s prayers, as Muslims bow their heads to the ground when they pray.

Has a Razzie on his resumé

DiCaprio has one Oscar statuette to his name, and has been nominated for six others during his nearly 40-year career. However, he also has the unwanted distinction of earning the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple in 1999, for his role as twins in The Man in the Iron Mask.

DiCaprio was also nominated for the ‘Razzie’ for Worst Actor for his performance in the 2000 movie The Beach.

Became pals with the real Frank Abagnale Jr

DiCaprio got to know legendary conman Frank Abagnale Jr, who he portrayed in the 2002 biopic Catch Me If You Can.

The real Abagnale makes a cameo in the film, playing a policeman during the screen Abagnale’s arrest in France. According to Screen Rant, Abagnale was initially against appearing in the movie, but was finally persuaded to.

Per The Guardian, DiCaprio “was so drawn by Abagnale’s charm” that the actor invited him to hang out with him at his home.