Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio grew up right here in Los Angeles, and has a special tie to one of the city’s public libraries?
The Hollywood icon reportedly grew up on the grounds of the Los Feliz Branch Library, which opened in 1999. According to SF Gate, he’s been quietly funding some of the library’s projects since it opened. Senior librarian Pearl Yonezawa shared that DiCaprio’s house had already been torn down when the library began construction in the late 1990s.
“As a teenager, DiCaprio would apparently go to the temporary library across the street, skateboarding right up to the front of the building, to meet his friends there and check out books,” SFGate reports.
Today, the library’s computer room is named after him.
At the time of opening, DiCaprio and his family donated $35,000 to fund the on-site computer center. Dubbed The Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center, the room is located where DiCaprio’s childhood bedroom once stood. It’s currently lined with signed posters of DiCaprio’s films including Titanic, The Great Gatsby, and Catch Me If You Can.
“They’re secured a little better to the wall, once we realized that some of them were signed. Sorry, Leo!” said Yonezawa.
In the years since, DiCaprio and his foundation have quietly funded multiple projects, including five years’ worth of New York Times subscriptions. And though they no longer live in the area, Yonezawa has also spotted DiCaprio and his family on the grounds over the years. His father, George DiCaprio, has also been known to drop off posters from some of Leo’s newer films.
📍 Loz Feliz Branch Library, 1874 Hillhurst Avenue. Los Angeles, CA 90027