Why Leonardo DiCaprio was told to change his name at the start of his career

Leonardo DiCaprio reflected on the early days of his career on the latest episode of “New Heights.”

The movie star, 50, shared on Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s podcast Wednesday that he once had an agent tell him he’d have to change his real name to be successful.

He said the agent told him his monicker was “too ethnic,” adding, “They’re never going to hire you.”

Leonardo’s last name is Italian, as his father, George DiCaprio, is a mix of Italian and German descent.

The “Titanic” star said the agent told him his “new name” would be “Lenny Williams,” explaining that they had taken Leonardo’s middle name, Wilhelm, and slightly revised it to replace his surname.

According to the acclaimed actor, his dad saw the headshot with his fake name, “ripped it up” and told his son, “Over my dead