The young actor received a special award by the director Martin Scorsese for whom he worked in the movie The Aviator.
It is an honour rarely given to such young actors. Leonardo was deeply touched and surprised. He expressed, "From what I understand, it’s a lifetime achievement award, which is completely and utterly surreal, considering I’m 30 years old. But I have been working in the business for almost 17 years now. I’ve done quite a few films. But I’m completely blown away, completely honoured, because this is what I truly love doing. It’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. So, I feel overwhelmed and honoured."
Leonardo is also nominated for an Oscar for best actor. He played millionaire Howard Hughes in the movie The Aviator by Martin Scorsese.