A judge has ordered Leonardo DiCaprio to testify in court in a case brought by an ex-stockbrocker who claims that “The Wolf of Wall Street” depicted him as “depraved.”
Andrew Greene argues that the character of Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff is based on him. Greene was an employee at Stratton Oakmont from 1993 to 1996, the brokerage firm founded by Jordan Belfort — who DiCaprio played in the movie.
The Hollywood Reporter says that the judge granted Greene’s motion for a deposition in New York on Thursday.
Greene is suing many of the film’s producers, including Paramount Pictures, Red Granite Pictures, Dicaprio’s Appian Way Productions and Sikelia Productions. He says he did not grant permission for his likeness to be used for the film.
Greene claims that the character of Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff, who wore a toupee and was played by PJ Byrne, was based on him. He argues that the movie changed his nickname from “Wigwam” to “Rugrat,” and that it perpetuated lies about his character that damaged his reputation to the tune of $15 million.
These claims were rejected, but a judge did allow Greene to pursue charges against the filmmakers for libel. It is unclear how DiCaprio, who did not write the script, will impact these proceedings with his testimony.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” was based on Belfort’s own memoirs. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film was nominated for five Academy Awards including a Best Actor nomination for DiCaprio.