Leonardo DiCaprio opens up on almost changing his stage name at 12

Leonardo DiCaprio has had one of the most iconic legacies in Hollywood. With a career spanning over decades, the actor has built quite a name for himself with his exploration of different genres and an array of mind-blowing roles.

However, what has become one of the biggest names in Hollywood was almost swapped for another, much generic name. At 12, Leonardo DiCaprio almost changed his name for the most absurd reason: His real name sounded too ethnic, according to his agent.

During an interview with Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast, New Heights, Leo discussed how his agent suggested he change his name because his own name sounded too "ethnic." Talking more about the incident, the Titanic actor said,

“I finally got an agent. They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic.’ I go, ‘What do mean? It's Leonardo DiCaprio.’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They're never gonna hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.’ I said, ‘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.’”

He then added how his father came to the rescue and was against the name change as he got new headshots with his new name:

“My dad saw his photo, ripped it up, and he said, ‘Over my dead body.’ "

Leonardo DiCaprio's iconic Hollywood legacy

"One Battle After Another" London Premiere - Arrivals - Source: Getty

Leonardo DiCaprio’s legacy in Hollywood reads like an actor’s handbook on reinvention. He arrived as the teen heartthrob whose name was plastered across posters and then went on to become a fearless lead willing to get battered by bears, swallowed by deserts, or corrupted by capitalism to serve a story.

That blend of box office draw and fearless craft turned him into both a studio asset and an awards magnet. Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant in 2016 marked the culmination of a long public quest for recognition and reframed how Hollywood judges screen longevity. His collaborations with directors such as Martin Scorsese have created some of the decade’s most vivid performances and cemented a director-actor bond that continues to push him into new challenges.

Beyond acting, he built influence as a producer through Appian Way, backing films that take risks and platforms that amplify the voices of others. Equally central to his legacy is his environmental advocacy. Founding the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 and producing documentaries brought climate issues into mainstream celebrity discourse, turning box office attention into fundraising and awareness.