Leonardo DiCaprio has presented some of the most memorable performances that will be etched forever in our minds. With movies like Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, and several others under his collar, he continues to be an icon of Hollywood. But there was once a time in the career of the Inception actor when he was told by his former agent that he could never be an excellent star due to an extremely strange reason.
Presently, Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a name but a brand in itself but interestingly, some people felt it to be a potential hindrance in the path of stardom. According to the Jack Dawson actor, he faced a challenge in his initial days due to his name.
What did Leonardo DiCaprio’s agent comment on his name?
It is quite surprising how the Blood Diamond actor’s agent had such a wrong idea regarding his name and predicted the exact opposite. With an endless list of blockbusters and reputed awards such as the Oscar and Golden Globe, Leonardo DiCaprio went on to be an unforgettable name in the world of Cinema.
But when the actor was 11 years old, he was advised by his then-manager to change his name to Lenny Williams. As per that agent, Leonardo DiCaprio is too ethnic of a name to help him get any jobs.
“Not really. They felt my name was too ethnic and I wouldn’t get as many jobs. So that thwarted me from being an actor for a number of years.”
Two years later, when the actor visited another agent, what followed after is quite well-versed to the audiences. His feats even lead him to an Oscar nomination at the age of 19 for his role as Arnold Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. The achievement streak continued as he got nominated for another five times including a win for The Covenant.
It can’t be denied that the agent was proven wrong in every possible way as Leonardo DiCaprio continues to be one of the most successful actors of all time. He has worked with some of the most reputed directors of all time like Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese with whom he is yet to bring another potential hit.
Leonardo DiCaprio is all set to return with his favorite collaborator
Following Robert De Niro, the 48-year-old actor comes next in line as Martin Scorsese’s favorite. Leonardo DiCaprio has worked with the Shutter Island director in a short film and five feature films yet. The sixth one titled Killers of the Flower Moon is slated to release this year.
Killers of the Flower Moon is based on David Grann’s book of the same name and will star DiCaprio alongside Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser. The plot is set around a backdrop of the 1920s and centers around a series of murders in the Osage nation. It will be a much-anticipated comeback for Leonardo DiCaprio who was last seen in Netflix’s Don’t Look Up.
Don’t Look Up’s impression was quite mixed and couldn’t create a reception similar to other major DiCaprio hits. The upcoming Martin Scorsese directorial garnered very positive feedback at the Cannes Film Festival and is expected to be a memorable addition to both the actor and the director’s widely-celebrated filmography.
Killers of the Flower Moon will be released on October 20, 2023, before moving on to Apple TV+ with the streaming date yet to be announced.
Source: ShortList
