Leonardo DiCaprio, now one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, once came close to adopting a stage name because talent agents told him his real name was “too ethnic.” The Oscar-winning actor recently recounted this startling revelation on the New Heights podcast hosted by NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce, alongside co-star Benicio del Toro.
During the episode aired September 24, DiCaprio shared memories of early auditions as a child actor. After finally securing an agent around age 12 or 13, he was told that “Leonardo DiCaprio” wouldn’t work in Hollywood due to its ethnic connotations.
They suggested the stage name “Lenny Williams,” based on his middle name Wilhelm. DiCaprio recalled responding with confusion, “What is Lenny Williams?” His father rejected the idea vehemently, tearing up the proposed headshot with the new name, declaring, “Over my dead body.”
Benicio del Toro confirmed facing a similar experience, with agents advising a simplified name like “Benny Del.”
Despite these pressures, DiCaprio kept his name and rose to international fame, starring in iconic films like Titanic and The Wolf of Wall Street, proving critics wrong.
