Pressured to Change His Name: Leonardo DiCaprio on the Struggles at the Start of His Career

He Was Supposed to Be Lenny Williams!

The world might never have known Leonardo DiCaprio — at least not under his real name. It turns out that, at the very beginning of his career, the actor was strongly advised to change it.

Leonardo revealed this for the first time on the New Heights podcast hosted by brothers Travis and Jason Kelce.

The 50-year-old actor recalled that at the age of 12 or 13, he frequently attended auditions but failed to land any roles. When he finally signed with his first agent, the latter immediately suggested he adopt a stage name. Otherwise, in his view, Leonardo would face rejection because his name was «too long and too ethnic,» according to People.

«I finally found an agent. And he said: «Your name is too ethnic.» I asked: «What do you mean? I’m Leonardo DiCaprio.» He replied: «No, too ethnic. You’ll never get roles,» the Oscar winner admitted.

The agent proposed the pseudonym Lenny Williams, derived from Leonardo’s middle name, Wilhelm.

However, the DiCaprio family firmly opposed the idea. Thanks to his father’s determination, the future Hollywood legend kept the name the world now knows.

«My father saw a photo with the new name, tore it up, and said: «Over my dead body,» Leonardo recalled.

Photo: hollywood.com