Leonardo DiCaprio’s early struggles in Hollywood are the stuff of legend, but a newly resurfaced story offers fresh insight into the industry’s long history of gatekeeping and cultural bias.
DiCaprio’s father, George, apparently hated the agent’s move. Upon seeing a fresh headshot of his son with the name “Lenny Williams,” DiCaprio said his father tore it up, saying, “Over my dead body.”
You can watch the full interview with DiCaprio below. He joins the program around the 53-minute mark, and talks about this harrowing moment from his early career around the one-hour, 17-minute mark.
