At a film festival in Santa Barbara 30-year-old actor Leonardo DiCaprio has been given the Planitum Lifetime Achievement Award. According to festival director Roger Durling, the accolade was given to DiCaprio for his “exceptional career” which includes a lead in legendary blockbuster Titanic and appearing as Howard Hughes in recent motion picture The Aviator which received 11 Oscar nominations this year.

In acceptance speech DiCaprio spoke of the award as 'completely and utterly surreal, given I'm only 30 years old. But, you know, what has it been? Almost 17 years now. I've done quite a few films. But what's really exciting, for me, is that this is what I really love doing. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.'

Leonardo DiCaprio started his career at the tender age of 13, appearing on TV show titled “Growing Pains” as a runaway child taken in by the Seaver family.