Jonah Hill and director Martin Scorsese recently revisited the making of their 2013 crime drama The Wolf of Wall Street, sharing new behind-the-scenes stories about the film’s chaotic production and unconventional shooting style.
In a conversation with Interview magazine, the two reflected on the film, which is based on Jordan Belfort’s 2007 memoir about his rise and fall as a fraudulent Wall Street stockbroker. The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort and Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff, explored the extreme excesses of financial greed and ultimately showed Belfort’s downfall, which led to his imprisonment.
Scorsese and Hill discussed how unpredictable the shoot often became. Hill noted that filming took place in “millions of crazy locations,” while Scorsese explained that the process constantly reshaped the film in real time. According to Hill, working with Scorsese taught him “how much a movie can change through making it.”
They also revisited a particularly chaotic day of shooting inside Jordan Belfort’s actual former home. Scorsese described how production was constantly racing against time, as the homeowner grew increasingly frustrated with the disruption. Hill added that the owner repeatedly demanded they leave, even as the crew was filming highly extravagant scenes inside the house.
“And then we had to get out because the man who owned the house was really getting mad at us,” Scorsese remembered.
Hill added, “For context, the guy who owned Jordan Belfort’s house was desperate to get us out. He goes, ‘Guys, I’ve got to get back in my f—ing office. Ten minutes ago you said you’d be out of here.’ Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are shooting a scene in your office. A woman has money taped to her breasts. What do you have to do that’s cooler than this?”
Jonah Hill was ultimately nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as Donnie Azoff in the film.
