Leonardo DiCaprio<\/a> is opening up about the early days of his career.<\/p>\n During a recent interview on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights<\/a>” podcast, the 50-year-old actor discussed his experience as a child actor and how his dad stopped him from making a big change.<\/p>\n “I finally got an agent, they said, \u2018Your name is too ethnic,'” he explained. “I go, \u2018What do you mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio.\u2019 They go, \u2018No, too ethnic. They\u2019re never going to hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.\u2019”<\/p>\n He recalled saying, “What is Lenny?” And when his father heard the idea of the name change, he responded, “Over my dead body.”<\/p>\n DiCaprio says an agent once tried to change his name because it was “too ethnic.”<\/p>\n Leonardo Dicaprio\u2019s Pre-party Security Moment Goes Viral<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n It seems as though his father had the right instincts considering DiCaprio went on to find immense success. He first gained national attention when he joined the cast of “Growing Pains” in its last season, later receiving his first Academy Award<\/a> nomination at the age of 19 for his role in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”<\/p>\n Read On The Fox News App<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n He then became Hollywood’s go-to leading man after starring in “Romeo + Juliet” and “Titanic<\/a>.” However, he didn’t always have good experiences auditioning.<\/p>\n “I remember auditioning when I was very young,” he said. “I was like a child actor. My stepbrother was an actor. And there were these acting agents that would line you up like cattle, and they just go \u2026 \u2018Yes, yes, no.\u2019 And they look at me, \u2018No.\u2019”<\/p>\n He told his father that the experience was “horrible.”<\/p>\n DiCaprio recently said that he’s planning on “slowing down a bit” in his acting career.<\/p>\n “I just remember my dad saying, ‘You know, some day you\u2019re going to have your time, son. Just keep at it. Keep at it.\u2019”<\/p>\n When looking back, DiCaprio considers starring in “This Boy’s Life” with Robert De Niro<\/a> at 16 years old the “big \u2018oh wow\u2019 moment” of his career. He explained that he “wanted to be an actor very, very young,” saying he would imitate his parents’ friends when he was 4 years old and was excited when he found out he could do it for a job.<\/p>\n After years in the industry, the actor told People earlier this month that he plans to take a step back from Hollywood and become much more selective when it comes to the roles he takes on.<\/p>\n Like What You\u2019re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “I\u2019m slowing down a bit<\/a>,” DiCaprio said, before adding he couldn’t say no to working with director Paul Thomas Anderson on his latest comedy, “One Battle After Another.”<\/p>\n DiCaprio once turned down an opportunity to work with Anderson, which he regrets.<\/p>\n “I think anytime would\u2019ve been the right time, to be honest,” he continued. “Ever since I met Paul early on and I saw \u2018Boogie Nights,\u2019 I\u2019ve been an obsessive fan of his work, watched all his movies. His films ruminate in my mind, and they’re conversation pieces with my friends. They last.<\/p>\n “Awards can come and go,” he added. “Accolades, box office can come and go, but those pieces of art that you still talk about and still think about and still question, those are the films that we strive for as an actor. And Paul is the dude of our generation that does them.”<\/p>\n This is the first collaboration between DiCaprio and Anderson after the actor previously passed on an opportunity to work with him.<\/p>\n Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n He explained in an August interview with Esquire, “I\u2019ll say it even though you\u2019re here: My biggest regret<\/a> is not doing \u2018Boogie Nights.’ It was a profound movie of my generation. I can\u2019t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece.”<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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