Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental group has donated US$3 million (£2.3 million) towards the relief effort in Australia as the country continues to be ravaged by wildfires.
The Hollywood star’s Earth Alliance said it had pledged the cash to help support residents affected by the fires, enable wildlife rescue and support the long-term restoration of the environment.
Earth Alliance has launched the Australia Wildlife Fund along with partner organisations including Aussie Ark, Bush Heritage and Wires Wildlife Rescue.
DiCaprio, one of the world’s highest profile environmentalists, announced the news on Instagram.
Australia has been devastated by an unprecedented fire crisis in the south-east of the country that has so far killed at least 25 people with millions of animal feared to have also died.
Around two thousand homes have been destroyed while major cities have been shrouded in smoke.
The unfolding crisis, likely to continue throughout the Southern Hemisphere summer, has intensified demands for global action on climate change.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s filmography – In pictures
1/26 Oscar denied
Leo as fraudster Jordan Belfort in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street
2/26 The big time
Starring with Kate Winslet in Titanic (1997)
3/26 Flying high
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
4/26 What Gatsby
As Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (2013)
5/26 Young and adorable
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
6/26 Watershed moment
Leo stars in The Basketball Diaries (1995)
7/26 Star-crossed lover
A young Leo in Romeo + Juliet (1996)
8/26 Check out those curtains…
Leo stars with Meryl Streep in Marvin’s Room (1996)
9/26
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
imdb
10/26 Dangerous liason
The Beach (2000)
11/26
Martin Scorsese film ‘Gangs Of New York’ (2002) starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
12/26 Oscar potential
DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes in The Aviator (2005)
13/26 Growing up
Leo stars in The Departed with Jack Nicholson (2006)
14/26 Another Oscar nomination…
Leo takes the title role in Blood Diamond (2006)
15/26 Together again…
Leo and Kate Winslet are reunited as leads in Revolutionary Road (2008)
16/26
Film Body of Lies’. (2008)
(L-R) Leonardo DiCaprio as Roger Ferris and Russell Crowe as Ed Hoffman
Fran ois Duhamel
17/26 Playing detective
Mark Ruffalo and DiCaprio star in Shutter Island (2010)
18/26 Dreaming big
With Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)
19/26 Political role
Clint Eastwood directs Leo and Armie Hammer (left) in J. Edgar (2011)
20/26 Awards buzz
Leo plays evil slave owner Calvin Candie in Django Unchained (2012)
21/26
Film: The Revenant. (2015)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio.
22/26
Film: ‘The Revenant’ (2015), starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass.
23/26
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Audition (2015)
imdb
24/26
Film: Before the Flood (2016), starring Leonardo DiCaprio with President Barack Obama.
25/26
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Columbia Pictures’ “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 2019
26/26
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019
1/26 Oscar denied
Leo as fraudster Jordan Belfort in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street
2/26 The big time
Starring with Kate Winslet in Titanic (1997)
3/26 Flying high
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
4/26 What Gatsby
As Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (2013)
5/26 Young and adorable
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
6/26 Watershed moment
Leo stars in The Basketball Diaries (1995)
7/26 Star-crossed lover
A young Leo in Romeo + Juliet (1996)
8/26 Check out those curtains…
Leo stars with Meryl Streep in Marvin’s Room (1996)
9/26
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
imdb
10/26 Dangerous liason
The Beach (2000)
11/26
Martin Scorsese film ‘Gangs Of New York’ (2002) starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
12/26 Oscar potential
DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes in The Aviator (2005)
13/26 Growing up
Leo stars in The Departed with Jack Nicholson (2006)
14/26 Another Oscar nomination…
Leo takes the title role in Blood Diamond (2006)
15/26 Together again…
Leo and Kate Winslet are reunited as leads in Revolutionary Road (2008)
16/26
Film Body of Lies’. (2008)
(L-R) Leonardo DiCaprio as Roger Ferris and Russell Crowe as Ed Hoffman
Fran ois Duhamel
17/26 Playing detective
Mark Ruffalo and DiCaprio star in Shutter Island (2010)
18/26 Dreaming big
With Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)
19/26 Political role
Clint Eastwood directs Leo and Armie Hammer (left) in J. Edgar (2011)
20/26 Awards buzz
Leo plays evil slave owner Calvin Candie in Django Unchained (2012)
21/26
Film: The Revenant. (2015)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio.
22/26
Film: ‘The Revenant’ (2015), starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass.
23/26
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Audition (2015)
imdb
24/26
Film: Before the Flood (2016), starring Leonardo DiCaprio with President Barack Obama.
25/26
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Columbia Pictures’ “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 2019
26/26
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019
At the Golden Globes on Sunday, the first major awards show of the year, stars including Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett highlighted the plight of Australia.
Crowe, a winner on the night, stayed in Australia to ensure his family’s safety during the fires.
Alongside DiCaprio, other high-profile celebrities to pledge money to the relief effort include Sir Elton John, Liam Hemsworth, Kylie Jenner and Pink.
