Leonardo DiCaprio reveals the surprising name Hollywood agents wanted him to use

"I finally got an agent, they said, 'Your name is too ethnic,'" he explained. "I go, 'What do you mean? It's Leonardo DiCaprio.' They go, 'No, too ethnic. They're never going to hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.'"

He recalled saying, "What is Lenny?" And when his father heard the idea of the name change, he responded, "Over my dead body."

"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 … 'Yes, yes, no.' And they look at me, 'No.'"

He told his father that the experience was "horrible."

"I just remember my dad saying, 'You know, some day you're going to have your time, son. Just keep at it. Keep at it.'"

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.

"I think anytime would've been the right time, to be honest," he continued. "Ever since I met Paul early on and I saw 'Boogie Nights,' I've 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.

"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."

This is the first collaboration between DiCaprio and Anderson after the actor previously passed on an opportunity to work with him.