Leonardo DiCaprio shares how father helped him stay grounded

Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed the early Hollywood advice he did not take and why.

During an appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, the Oscar winner recalled being told as a child actor that his name was “too ethnic” to succeed in Hollywood.

“They said, ‘Your new name is Lenny Williams,’” DiCaprio remembered, explaining that “Williams” came from his middle name, Wilhelm.

However, his father George quickly shut down the idea and forbade him to change the name.

 “He ripped up the photo and said, ‘Over my dead body,’” DiCaprio recounted his father saying.

DiCaprio went on to endure years of rejection before breaking through in the early '90s. 

“I remember auditioning when I was very young… agents would line you up like cattle. I was a break dancer back then. I’d break dance for money on the streets,” he continued.

Looking back, DiCaprio went on to admit his father always kept him grounded. 

“My dad would sing, ‘Someday you’re gonna have your time, son. Just keep at it,’” he concluded.