Leonardo DiCaprio says his first agent thought he’d never get hired in Hollywood because his name was ‘too ethnic’: ‘Your name is Lenny Williams’

Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a tuxedo (Credit: Stephane Cardinale—Corbis/Getty Images)

Leonardo DiCaprio’s early struggles in Hollywood are the stuff of legend, but a newly resurfaced story offers fresh insight into the industry’s long history of gatekeeping and cultural bias.

During a recent appearance on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, DiCaprio—one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars—revealed he couldn’t get an agent for a long time, but when he finally got one, the agent advised him he wouldn’t succeed in show business because of his real name. The agent suggested he adopt the stage name “Lenny Williams,” saying, “Your name is too ethnic” and telling a then-13-year-old DiCaprio, “You’re never going to be hired.”