Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex-agent tried to change his name and his dad had a brutal response

Long before Leonardo DiCaprio became one of the most famous movie stars in the world, his former agent suggested he should change his name. His dad did not like the idea.

In his capacity as an actor and producer, DiCaprio’s projects have grossed over $8 billion, whether it’s Titanic (still one of the highest-grossing movies ever made), The Wolf of Wall Street, or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

He is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, and he’s starred in some of the best movies of all time. Everybody knows who he is, wherever he goes.

Once upon a time, though, he was a nobody. When he was 12, he finally got his first agent – and if he listened to them, his life may have turned out rather differently.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s agent wanted him to change his name and it’s bad

Warner Bros.

While appearing on the New Heights podcast ahead of the release of One Battle After Another, DiCaprio was asked if he had any “holy sh*t” moments when his acting career started taking off.

“I finally got an agent,” he recalled. “They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic. I go, ‘What do mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio.’

“They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never gonna hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.'”

DiCaprio speaks about the proposed name change at 1:17:12 in the video below:

Firstly, there’s already a famous Lenny Williams: he’s an American singer who was part of Tower of Power in the ’70s. Secondly, it’s not like DiCaprio is a hard name to pronounce; it’s simple and elegant, and it’s hard to imagine him being known as anything else.

DiCaprio’s middle name is Wilhelm, so that’s why the agent thought Williams could work as a new surname.

“And my dad saw this photo, ripped it up, and he said, ‘Over my dead body.'”

In the same interview, Benicio del Toro recalled his agent referring to him as Benny Del. “This podcast would not be the same with Lenny Williams and Benny Del,” Jason Kelce joked.

DiCaprio also spoke about his early experiences with other acting agents. “My stepbrother was an actor, and there were these acting agents that would line you up like cattle,” he said.

“I was a break dancer. I’d break dance for, like, money on the streets sometimes… I remember saying to my dad, ‘This is horrible.’ I went back, and they did it again. ‘Yes. Yes. No. No.’

“I just remember, my dad sings, you know, ‘Someday you’re gonna have your time, son. Just keep at it. Keep at it.'”

One Battle After Another hits cinemas on September 26. Check out what else is dropping this year with our 2025 movie calendar.