8 similarities between Leonardo DiCaprio's performances in ‘The Revenant’ and ‘Growing Pains’

He finally did it! Leonardo DiCaprio took home his long-awaited Best Actor Oscar on Sunday for his “The Revenant” role as hirsute bear attack survivor Hugh Glass. And while it’s all well and good to celebrate his recent accomplishments, it’s also important to examine where this performance lies in the broader context of his work.

Leo’s given a lot of great performances over the years, from “The Wolf of Wall Street” to “The Basketball Diaries”– but for a lot of us, no matter how accomplished he becomes, we always think of him like this:

DiCaprio joined the cast of the Alan Thicke-led sitcom “Growing Pains” in the show’s seventh season, back in the olden days of 1991. It seems like he’s come a long way since then, but has he? Are there any similarities between his role as Luke, the plucky homeless youth taken in by the Seaver family, and his performance as a revenge-crazed frontiersman? Well, we found eight.

The bond of family

At the start of “The Revenant” Hugh Glass’ primary concern is protecting his son, Hawk. If this were a ‘90s dramedy, they probably would have called it “Glass Half Full” or something.

In “Growing Pains,” Luke forms a new family bond with the lovable Seaver clan.

Even in just a handful of episodes in the show’s last season, DiCaprio made us believe in the familial love between him and the “Growing Pains” gang. Did he perhaps tap into this memory for “The Revenant”? Was DiCaprio thinking of Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns as he conjured up tears over Hawk’s lifeless body? We may never know for certain.

Intense rivalries

“The Revenant” finds Glass battling his rival, played by Tom Hardy. Their bloody final confrontation would have been even more intense if you could understand a damn word Tom Hardy was saying.

Similarly, DiCaprio was called upon to match his wits against a rival back during “Growing Pains,” his own adoptive brother, Ben. It almost sounds like a Greek tragedy. Of course, instead of seeking justice for the murder of his son, he just likes the same girl as Ben. Like likes. Still, the gloves came off. Adding to the episode’s prestige: the girl in question was played by future Oscar-winner Hilary Swank!

Also, the episode was called “Menage a Luke” which is an odd title for a family show. I’m guessing Kirk Cameron didn’t get the reference, otherwise he probably would have thrown some kind of hissyfit.

Survival

“The Revenant” is all about survival; Glass is mauled by a bear, buried alive, and somehow manages to defy the odds, not only living, but successfully journeying back to civilization.

In “Growing Pains,” DiCaprio’s Luke is also a survivor– the homeless teen is forced to hole up in the school’s supply closet. Which is a pretty good idea, until Mike catches him.

The notion of a teen on the streets is harrowing, not unlike the brutal reality of “The Revenant.” DiCaprio plays both earnestly, but unlike “The Revenant,” as Luke he had to shoehorn in some awkward jokes about child homelessness, then pause for the laugh track. He’s come a long way.

Unconventional sleeping arrangements

One of the most memorable scenes in “The Revenant” finds Glass hollowing out and crawling inside a dead horse for a warm night’s sleep. There’s no photos of that scene online, so here’s the closest cinematic approximation:

The closest he came to enduring such a nightmare on “Growing Pains” was when Luke was forced to sleep on the ‘90s equivalent of a dead horse: the waterbed.

Actually, as this clip illustrates, he chose the floor instead instead of the waterbed. Wise choice.

Hideous costumes

Hugh Glass is mostly dressed in giant furs, whereas Luke once had to wear this ridiculous sailor suit.

You decide which is worse.

Primal violence

“The Revenant” revels in its brutal violence, with DiCaprio channeling his inner primate as he shoots, hacks and stabs his way to the end of the movie.

When Jason, the patriarch of the family, takes Luke to the doctor, a skittish Luke bites the poor doctor, because apparently being a homeless youth makes you a complete psychopath.

It doesn’t matter if you killed his son, or were just trying to examine his throat, Leo brings the intensity.

Tragic backstories

Glass is haunted by the memory of his dead wife, who appears in dreams and visions.

Luke from “Growing Pains” is also haunted by his past– but instead of a dead wife, it’s his estranged father who, unless the show was going for some sort of extremely subtle “Sixth Sense”-esque twist, was very much alive.

Scavenging for food

One of the most talked-about stories to come out of the making of “The Revenant” is that DiCaprio ate actual raw meat for a scene where he scavenges meat from a dead bison.

While he never ate raw meat while making “Growing Pains” (that we know of) Leo’s character is caught stealing deli meat in one episode, which is kind of the same thing. He also rummages around the Seavers’ kitchen to make pancakes…

–which as close as you could get to scavenging raw bison liver in an early ‘90s suburban home.