Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has added another major honor to his career, with Time magazine naming him 2025 Entertainer of the Year. The announcement crowns a year marked by critical acclaim, box-office success and a renewed spotlight on the actor’s impact on contemporary cinema.

A career-defining performance draws global recognition

The 102-year-old magazine said the decision was driven largely by DiCaprio’s widely praised performance in One Battle After Another, a revolt-themed action film that has become director Paul Thomas Anderson’s highest-grossing movie to date. In the film, DiCaprio portrays a washed-up former revolutionary living in paranoia and isolation, whose life is upended when his old nemesis—played by Sean Penn—reappears after 16 years.

The role has pushed DiCaprio back into the center of the awards conversation, reinforcing his reputation for taking on challenging and unconventional characters.

“Risky, original, and worth it”

In an interview with Time, Leonardo DiCaprio explained why the project mattered so deeply to him, emphasizing its originality in an industry often driven by franchises and familiar formulas.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how rare it is to see truly original stories like this,” he said. “There’s no link to history, no past characters, no genre expectations. It was a risk for the studio, and what they were really betting on was Paul’s storytelling and the fierce originality of his process.”

Awards momentum continues to build

DiCaprio’s recognition by Time comes amid an already impressive awards run. Earlier this week, he earned a Golden Globe nomination, adding to a growing list that includes a Critics Choice Award nomination, a National Board of Review win, and the Desert Palm Achievement Award from the Palm Springs Film Festival.

One Battle After Another itself has also emerged as a major contender this season, receiving nominations for Best Film at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, along with wins at the Gotham Awards and honors from leading critics’ groups in Los Angeles and New York.