Leonardo DiCaprio recently revisited his early days in Hollywood, sharing a fascinating story about the pressure he faced as a child actor trying to break into the industry.
The 50-year-old actor, widely praised for his powerful performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, revealed on Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast that one of his first agents wanted him to abandon his real name.
“I finally got an agent. They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic,’” DiCaprio recalled. “I go, ‘What do you mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio.’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never gonna hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.’”
Fortunately, DiCaprio refused to accept the change, holding on to the name that would later become iconic across the globe. During the same conversation, the Titanic star reflected on his earliest auditions, describing how competitive the industry was for young performers.
“I remember auditioning when I was very young. My stepbrother was an actor, and agents would line us up like cattle. I was a break dancer too—I’d break dance on the streets for money. Oh yeah, I even had the step haircut,” he said with a laugh.
Over the years, DiCaprio went on to defy those early doubts, earning five Oscar nominations and finally winning Best Actor in 2016 for The Revenant. Currently, he is preparing for the release of his latest film, One Battle After Another, set to premiere in theaters on Friday, September 26.