I interviewed him incessantly and tried to pull out every detail I possibly could. As DiCaprio told The Wall Street Journal, Belfort was “incredibly open about his life, especially the most embarrassing parts.
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He estimated that he spent hundreds of hours with the actor, walking him through both the details of his financial schemes and how to portray the physical and mental effects of the drugs Belfort consumed on a regular basis.
Belfort has a cameo in the movieĭuring the years-long delay in production of the movie, Belfort acted as an advisor for DiCaprio. And Porush denies that employees abused the little people the company hired by throwing them as shown in the film. According to Porush, nobody ever referred to Belfort as the “Wolf” of Wall Street, Belfort instead gave himself the nickname for the book. Belfort used his name in his book, but after Porush threatened to sue the film’s producers, they changed it to Donnie Azoff.īut he took issue with some of the other moments depicted in both Belfort’s memoir and the film.
The real name of Belfort’s friend and Stratton Oakmont co-founder was Danny Porush. FBI Special Agent Gregory Coleman, who spent more than half a decade investigating Belfort and his company, became Patrick Denham in the film. And his second wife’s name was Nadine, not Naomi (although Belfort did nickname her The Duchess and named his yacht after her). Belfort’s first wife was named Denise, not Teresa. While Hanna’s real name made it into the film, others didn’t. The names of the real-life people who inspired the film were changed for the big screen I've been doing it for a while, but it's just something I do.” DiCaprio noticed it during rehearsals and suggested to Scorsese that they film it, later saying that it helped set the tone for the movie. As he told Graham Norton, “That's something I'll do…to relax myself, get my voice to drop. Matthew McConaughey’s rhythmic beating of his chest and humming was actually an acting technique he used before filming to get himself ready for a scene. While Hanna was a real figure, his unusual behavior during the meeting didn’t happen. Photo: James Devaney/WireImage One of the most well-known scenes wasn’t in the scriptĮarly on in the film, DiCaprio has lunch with a successful stockbroker named Mark Hanna. Leonardo DiCaprio filming on location for "The Wolf Of Wall Street" on August 25, 2012, in New York City
And the role of Robbie’s on-screen aunt, eventually played by former Bond Girl and Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley, was originally offered to Julie Andrews, who turned it down due to the after-effects of ankle surgery. Alan Arkin reportedly passed on the role of Max Belfort, Jordan’s father, which went to Rob Reiner. Actresses Blake Lively, Amber Heard and others were reportedly considered for the role of Belfort’s second wife before Australian newcomer Margot Robbie was cast. For the role of Donnie Azoff, Belfort’s co-founder, a number of actors were considered, before Jonah Hill convinced DiCaprio and Scorsese that he should audition for the role - the first time he’d had to audition in years. In 2010, an independent production company, Red Granite Pictures, bought the film rights, and casting got underway. But after a deal with Warner Brothers fell through, the film was in limbo, and director Ridley Scott was briefly attached. Among those most interested was DiCaprio, who brought director Scorsese on board, for what would be their fifth collaboration. Hollywood quickly came calling, with stars like Brad Pitt and Mark Wahlberg eyeing the part. The trip from page to screen was rocky - and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' was almost a very different filmįollowing his release, a broke Belfort redoubled his efforts, receiving an advance from Random House for more than $1 million for his manuscript.