Leonardo DiCaprio says his ideal woman is like his mother.

The 'J. Edgar' actor is currently dating model Erin Heatherton but he admits any girlfriend has a lot to live up to because he compares them to his beloved mum, Irmelin.

He said: "My mother is the centre of my life. To have a woman like that in your life, who is strong, who'll be honest with you about who you are... that's something I treasure. And it's something I look for in a woman."

Leonardo - who has previously dated models Gisele Bundchen and Bar Refaeli - also revealed how his love life suffered when he starred in 1997 blockbuster 'Titanic', because it transformed him into a worldwide heartthrob.

Leonardo - who starred in the romantic blockbuster alongside Kate Winslet - is quoted by the Daily Express newspaper as saying: "I had better success meeting girls before I did the film. My interactions with them didn't have the stigma behind it."

Last year, the 37-year-old actor split from 'Gossip Girl' actress Blake Lively after five months of dating and has been linked to several models since.

Leonardo has previously admitted he is unsure if he will ever marry because seeing other people's failed unions has put him off tying the knot.

He explained: "I don't know whether I'll ever get married. I've seen too many supposedly happy marriages go down. I've been as shocked as anyone.

"No one can look at the marriages of other people and make a judgment. I don't know the private lives of the actors I work with. I just know if they are good actors or good directors."