A History of Leonardo DiCaprio Taking His Mom to the Golden Globes

Cher. Julia Roberts. Barbra Streisand. They’ve all earned their proper places in the Golden Globes red carpet canon. But there is another glowing woman almost as iconic at the annual so-called “fun” awards show: Irmelin Indenbirken, also known as Leonardo DiCaprio’s mom.

For more than two decades now, since at least the What’s Eating Gilbert Grape premiere in 1993, DiCaprio’s mom has been his go-to plus-one, sometimes gracing the carpet in lieu of ex-girlfriend Gisele Bündchen, other times lovingly snapping his photo from afar. Their close mother-son relationship is the stuff acceptance speeches are made of, as DiCaprio explained onstage after winning Best Actor at the BAFTAs in 2016 for The Revenant.

“I would not be standing up here if it wasn’t for this person,” Hollywood’s proudest mama’s boy said of his date, Indenbirken. “I didn’t grow up in a life of privilege. I grew up in a very rough neighborhood in East Los Angeles.... This woman drove me three hours a day to a different school to show me a different opportunity.” (Indenbirken, a single mom, took young Leo, a scholarship student, to the prestigious University Elementary School, now the UCLA Lab School.) “My mother is a walking miracle,” DiCaprio has told The Telegraph.

Indenbirken has seen it all, from Cannes to Berlin to the Oscars; at the London premiere of Titanic, she even met Prince Charles. With DiCaprio nominated for Best Actor yet again at Sunday’s ceremony for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we’re hoping for another adorable mother-son outing. In the meantime, peruse DiCaprio and Indenbirken’s most cherished Golden Globes moments.

1994

Nominated for the first time, for his role in Gilbert Grape, DiCaprio cemented two life trends at his rookie Globes: endearingly floppy hair, which would endure for Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, and bringing his mother as his date. Here Indenbirken establishes her own penchant for white outfits and perfectly tousled updos.

2009

DiCaprio walked the carpet with Revolutionary Road costar and conominee Kate Winslet (understandable studio flex), but you’d best believe Indenbirken was at his side later on, when the tables turned and DiCaprio took her picture with Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa.

2012

Nominated for J. Edgar—which, let’s not talk about—the dynamic duo returned to The Beverly Hilton in high style. Note: DiCaprio looks more adult, but Indenbirken is ageless (is she a vampire?) and looking resplendent in her signature creamy shade.

2014

Now is the time to acknowledge that DiCaprio pioneered the practice of bringing moms as dates for the likes of Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon. Ingenious, really: The practice gives DiCaprio’s Pussy Posse members the peace and privacy to not bring their high-profile supermodel girlfriends, while enjoying the emotional support and adoration that only moms can provide. At the 2014 Globes, when DiCaprio won Best Actor for The Wolf of Wall Street, he and Indenbirken mingled with their awards-show mentees, Bradley Cooper and his mom, Gloria Campano, at an after-party. Because Indenbirken is not a regular mom; she’s a cool mom!

Style points for her white look and pointy kitten heels, because comfort is key when schmoozing with an oft-nominated son.

Originally Appeared on Vogue