Leonardo misses out again at the Academy Awards

Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio without the Academy Award for best actor is like seeing Quentin Tarantino without an Oscar for directing "Pulp Fiction." It just isn't right. At the very least, in previous years, Leo's been recognized for his best work with a nomination from the Academy. But this year? Nothing.

The list for the 2013 Academy Award nominees was released and, while most of the selections came at no surprise, DiCaprio's absence was conspicuous. His notable role as Calvin Candy from Tarantino's "Django Unchained" was left off the list for both best actor and best supporting actor. Leonardo's acting skills are only getting better with age and, according to cable service retailer Cable.tv, his movies are some of the most popular aired on television. We'd like to think the time will come when he gets the hardware in his hands. In the meantime, let's look back at some of his best performances.

Danny Archer ("Blood Diamond" — 2006)

The South African thriller "Blood Diamond" was a critical and box office success. It also earned Leo a nomination for best actor in a lead role at the Academy Awards. Film buffs speculate that the loss could be due to DiCaprio's excellent work in "The Departed," which came out the same year. Unfortunately, all the awards buzz seemed to go to "The Departed" which might explain why Leo didn't get enough votes to take home an Oscar.

Billy ("The Departed" — 2006)

Speaking of "The Departed," though it didn't come with a second nomination for Leonardo, the film itself did take home awards for Best Picture and Best Director (Martin Scorsese). When the 2007 nominations were released, many fans were puzzled that Leo's work in "Blood Diamond" made the cut over the wildly popular " The Departed" (assuming the Academy could only pick one).

Arnie Grape (What's Eating Gilbert Grape — 1993)

Merely a teenager in a supporting role — as Arnie, a young boy who is mentally disabled — Leo received the sole Oscar nomination for the 90's drama "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Actors like Tom Hanks and Dustin Hoffman were seasoned veterans before playing a role with the added challenge of a mental disability, whereas DiCaprio was still new to the silver screen. The winner of the 1994 Oscar? Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive."

Honorable Mentions

DiCaprio also received an Academy Award nomination for "The Aviator," in which he played the infamous Howard Hughes. Despite stellar reactions from fans, his performances in "Shutter Island," "J. Edgar," and "This Boy's Life" didn't net him any Oscar nominations. While it's a shame that the Academy didn't recognize Leo for "Django Unchained," there's always next year. He'll have some great material to choose from — with "The Great Gatsby" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," set to release this year.