Leonardo DiCaprio set to play another historical figure: da Vinci

Leonardo DiCaprio is keeping up his record of playing historical figures. The actor has reportedly signed on to play the famous Italian artist and scientist he was named after in a Paramount adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s biography, Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo DiCaprio may have been born in the wrong century. The Academy Award-winning actor has played plenty of roles throughout his long career, but some of the most memorable seem to be of the historical persuasion. On Friday, Deadline reported DiCaprio will be taking on his latest part from another era, signing on to play Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci in an upcoming adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s 2017 biography, Leonardo da Vinci.

An often-circulated legend about DiCaprio traces the star’s name to a time his pregnant mother was looking at a da Vinci painting and her future son kicked for the first time thereby inspiring his unique name. So it’s only fitting that DiCaprio come full circle and take on this role.

A production timeline has yet to be released on the da Vinci project, but we’re guessing we’ll need to wait a while to see Leo painting the Mona Lisa. In the meantime, other Hollywood rumors have DiCaprio prepping to play another big historical name: Dr. H.H. Holmes, the real-life serial killer that stalked his victims during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Holmes was at the center of Erik Larson’s bestseller Devil in the White City, which DiCaprio bought the rights to in 2010. Media outlets have reported DiCaprio is teaming up again with his longtime directing pal Martin Scorsese for that project, and last we heard (in December), Scorsese said he was going to be working on the film by January.

Between these two potential roles and DiCaprio’s previous parts playing figures from 19th century frontiersman Hugh Glass in The Revenant to Catch Me If You Can‘s 1960s con artist Frank Abagnale to turn-of-the-20th-century artist Jack Dawson in Titanic, DiCaprio has a knack for time travel via his acting, whether those parts are based in actual history or historical fiction (sorry, Jack).

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We have no doubt Leo will live up to his artist-inspired name once the da Vinci project gets underway. In the meantime, if you need us, we’ll be studying up on DiCaprio’s history. Now, which to watch first: Romeo and Juliet or Gangs of New York?