Leonardo DiCaprio was told to change his name to Lenny Williams at the start of his career

Oscar winner Lenny Williams doesn’t have the same ring.

Leonardo DiCaprio revealed little-known facts about his early days as a child actor when he appeared on Travis and Jason Kelse’s New Heights Podcast on Wednesday, September 24th.

“I finally got an agent. They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic,'” recalled DiCaprio, 50, in one battle at his next co-star, Benicio del Toro. “I’m going, “What does it mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio.” They say, “Too ethnic.”

When the proposal was made, he shared that he was 12 or 13 years old, adding that “Williams” came from his middle name, Wilhelm.

“And my dad saw his picture and tore it apart, and he said, ‘On my body,'” DiCaprio said of his father, George DiCaprio.

You won’t miss the story. Sign up for people’s free daily newsletters and stay up to date with what people have to offer, from celebrity news to stories of fascinating human interests.

The DiCaprio lineage comes from Italian immigrants, and Leo’s father, George, is a performance artist and author himself.

Leo continued to share that he was not hired immediately as a child.

“I remember auditioning when I was very young. I was like a child actor,” said the Flower Moon actor murderer. “My brother-in-law was an actor and these acting agents lined up like cows. I was a break dancer. Sometimes I would break the dance for money on the streets.

He remembered other breakdancers who had acquired other breakdancers and said, “I remember telling my dad, ‘This is scary.’ I came back and they did it again. My dad says, “I’ll have your time one day.” ”

Of course, DiCaprio continued to make his mark with 90s hits like eating Titanic, Romeo + Juliet and Gilbert Grape. He has since received five Oscar nominations and one victory for his role at Lenavent in 2016.

“I’m a little late,” DiCaprio told people in his career earlier this month. “When these opportunities are born, I can’t say no,” he added, along with working with writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson, to go out on September 26th.

The award winner said he was not praised for motivating him to move forward in his career.

“The awards can come and go,” he added. “Admiration, box office revenue can go back and forth, but they’re pieces of art that you’re still talking about, still thinking, and still questioning. They’re films that we strive for as actors. And Paul is a man of our generation.”