Leonardo DiCaprio Says ‘Little Kids’ Are Out There Watching The Very R-Rated Wolf Of Wall Street, And His Story Has Me Shook

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Leonardo DiCaprio is known for many films, including Titanic, The Revenant, and his upcoming 2025 movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another. He’s created a diverse body of work appealing to a wide range of audiences, though perhaps not young children. For much of his career, the Oscar winner has primarily appeared in R-rated movies. Surprisingly, though, even little kids are discovering his films, and this includes The Wolf of Wall Street.

The movie star was recently questioned about which of his films resonate most with younger viewers. I initially expected him to mention Romeo+Juliet or The Great Gatsby, since the stories behind those films are frequently studied in schools. However, DiCaprio told Variety that, surprisingly, many young people approach him to discuss The Wolf of Wall Street, a film clearly not intended for children. He explained:

Sometimes, little kids will tell me they love Wolf of Wall Street. I always ask them, ‘You’ve seen that? How old are you?’ It reminds me that I used to watch a lot of rated-R movies when I was a kid, too.

Just so you know, The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 movie that tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a stock broker who lived a wild and excessive life. He made millions by cheating rich investors. The film serves as a warning about the problems with being greedy, but it also shows off the crazy behavior and over-the-top choices of the very wealthy in New York during the 1980s and 1990s. It’s based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, and The Wolf of Wall Street was very successful in theaters when it came out. Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting and director Martin Scorsese both received Oscar nominations because of it.

Although The Wolf of Wall Street is a truly great movie – and features some of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best acting work – it’s definitely not suitable for children. It includes graphic nudity, shows a lot of drug use, and contains frequent strong language, more so than many other R-rated films. Furthermore, the people portrayed in The Wolf of Wall Street aren’t presented as positive examples, and the film was meant to critique the lifestyle it depicts, not glorify it.

The film sparked debate even among adults when it first came out. I’m hesitant to say children should watch it, but the lead actor raises a good point: he himself was watching R-rated movies when he was younger. This shows that it’s still a common occurrence. So, it’s clearly not a new phenomenon.

I think it’s really cool how positive an impact early exposure to movies had on Leonardo DiCaprio. He became so passionate about films he saw growing up, and it clearly helped him become one of the greatest actors of his generation. It’s not just actors either – a lot of directors have said watching R-rated movies as kids were really formative experiences that shaped their own style. You really never know, some of these young viewers of Wolf of Wall Street might just become the next Leo!

Catch Leonardo DiCaprio in his newest, highly praised movie, One Battle After Another, which is playing in cinemas across the country right now. You can also re-watch his iconic role in The Wolf of Wall Street, available to stream with a Paramount+ membership.

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2025-09-29 17:01