Leonardo DiCaprio reveals he was once told to change his name to ‘Lenny Williams’

Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that he was once told to change his name to “Lenny Williams” because his real name was considered “too ethnic” for Hollywood. The actor said his father rejected the idea, urging him to keep his original name.

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has talked about his early years in the world of cinema and shared that he was once told that his name was “too ethnic” for Hollywood.

One of the world’s highest-paid movie stars, the 50-year-old actor was told by his first agent that he’d need to change his name in order to thrive in the film business.

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During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, DiCaprio recalled: “I go, ‘What do you mean, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio?’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never going to hire you.'”

The award-winning actor was actually given a new name to use by his former agent, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He was told: “‘Your new name is Lenny Williams’. I said, ‘What is Lenny?’ … ‘We took your middle name (Wilhelm) and we made it your (last name). Now you’re Lenny.'”

However, the actor’s father, George DiCaprio, was quick to rubbish the idea, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The actor said: “My dad saw his photo, ripped it up, and he said, ‘Over my dead body.'”

He turned 50 in November 2024, and the actor previously revealed that he wanted to be “more honest” after celebrating his landmark birthday.

Speaking to Esquire UK, the movie star explained: “It (turning 50) creates a feeling like you have a desire to just be more honest and not waste your time. I can only imagine how the next few decades are going to progress. I look at my mother, for example, and she just says exactly what she thinks and wastes no time. She spends no time trying to fake it.”

DiCaprio is determined to not waste any time moving forwards.

Despite this, the actor acknowledges that he risks “having things fall apart” because of his honest approach.

The star said: “Being more upfront and risking having things fall apart or risking the disagreements or risking going your separate ways from any type of relationship in life — the personal, the professional — it’s that you don’t want to waste your time any more. You have to just be much more upfront. It’s almost a responsibility, because much more of your life is behind you than it is ahead of you.”