Leonardo DiCaprio looked back on the early days of his career on Wednesday’s episode of Jason and Travis Kelce’s and New Heights podcast.
The 50-year-old actor revealed that an agent once advised him to change his name to ensure success in Hollywood.
Leonardo — who is of Italian and German descent — was told his moniker was ‘too ethnic’ and that producers were ‘never going to hire’ him.
He said the agent suggested his new name be ‘Lenny Williams,’ a combination of his first name and his middle name, Wilhelm.
The Titanic sensation said his dad saw his headshot with his reinvented name and ‘ripped it up’ and said, ‘Over my dead body.’
His One Battle After Another co-star Benicio Del Toro was also on the podcast, and shared a similar story.
Leonardo DiCaprio looked back on the early days of his career on Wednesday’s episode of Jason and Travis Kelce’s and New Heights podcast; pictured with Benicio Del Toro
The 50-year-old actor revealed that an agent once advised him to change his name to ensure success in Hollywood; pictured in 1998
His One Battle After Another co-star Benicio was also on the podcast, and shared a similar story
For his part, the 58-year-old actor said he was given the name ‘Benny Del.’
Retired NFL star Jason, 37, then quipped, ‘This podcast would not be the same with Lenny Williams and Benny Del.’
Elsewhere in the interview, Leonardo discussed the rejection he encountered as a burgeoning star.
He said an agent once lined him up ‘like cattle’ and told him ‘no.’
Leonardo chalked it up to having a bad haircut: ‘I was a breakdancer. I breakdanced for, like, money on the street sometimes, so I had, like, the step haircut.”
And he recalled, ‘I remember saying to my dad, “This is horrible,” and I went back and they did it again.’
The showbiz cut his teeth in the industry appearing in Matchbox cars commercials as a teen.
By the early 90s he was a regular on the show Growing Pains, and he eventually scored roles in the movies This Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
Jason and Travis teased their latest guest stars on Tuesday night
He became a household name after starring opposite Kate Winslet in 1997’s Titanic.
Jason and Travis teased their latest guest stars on Tuesday night.
An X post shared by the podcast read: ‘ It’s time to add “podcaster” right next to “Oscar Winner” on these guys’ resumes.
‘NEW EPISODE TOMORROW FT. LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND BENICIO DEL TORO.’
It included a preview clip with Jason stating in the introduction, ‘Oh, baby, our guests today have between them four Golden Globe awards, two Academy Awards, their films have grossed almost $14 billion at the box office.’
He then began listing their accolades, naming films such as Sicario, Traffic, The Usual Suspects, and more.
Leonardo and Benicio’s latest film One Battle After Another hits theaters on September 26.
