Why Leonardo DiCaprio Was Asked to Change His Name

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures (via YouTube)

Leonardo DiCaprio recently shared how his ex-agent wanted him to change his name. During a podcast to promote his new film, One Battle After Another, he recalled the early days of his career when his agent didn’t think he would get hired because his name was “too ethnic.”

Leonardo DiCaprio recalls ex-agent saying no one would ‘hire’ him with his name

The Titanic star and his co-actor, Benicio del Toro, appeared on Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast to promote their upcoming film.

When Leonardo DiCaprio was asked on the New Heights podcast about the early days of his career that still stood out to him, he recalled his very first agent wanting to change his name.

“I finally got an agent. They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic,’” the Academy Award winner recalled. “I go, ‘What do you mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio?’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never going to hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.”

DiCaprio continued, “I said, ‘What is, what is Lenny?’ I was 12,13. I said, ‘What is Lenny Williams?’ ‘We took your middle name and we made it. Now you’re Lenny.’”

The Don’t Look Up actor then recalled showing the headshot with his stage name to his father. “And my dad saw this photo, ripped it up, and he said, ‘Over my dead body,’” he shared.

Adding to the lighthearted anecdote, Benicio del Toro also shared a similar incident when his agent wanted to call him “Benny Del.”

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another also features Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, and Chase Infiniti in prominent roles. It is a black comedy action thriller inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland.

The film centers on Bob (DiCaprio), a former revolutionary who is living off-grid with his daughter, Willa (Infiniti). When his old nemesis resurfaces after 16 years, Willa goes missing. Bob is then forced to get the team back together in the hope of finding his daughter before anyone else does.

One Battle After Another is set to release on Friday, September 26, 2025.

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