The 2013 dark comedy The Wolf of Wall Street is famously filled with chaotic energy, much of which was fueled by the improvisational genius of its stars, Leonardo DiCaprio (as Jordan Belfort) and Jonah Hill (as Donnie Azoff). Their volatile on-screen dynamic spilled into a legendary off-screen incident that involved dozens of pieces of raw sushi, a revenge plot, and a very sick A-list actor. The scene in question is a tense moment where Donnie and Jordan are discussing business, but also subtly communicating about the federal investigation into their firm.
The Revenge Plot: The Script Switch
Jonah Hill admitted that he sought revenge on DiCaprio because, in previous physical scenes, DiCaprio’s commitment to realism meant that Hill often took real, hard hits. Hill explained that DiCaprio’s intense method acting meant that “any time you do any sort of physical scene… he doesn’t understand that it’s acting, and he beats the living crap out of you.”
Unable to strike back physically, Hill devised a plan using the script: The original line was written for Jordan (DiCaprio) to say, “Do you want that last piece?” and for Donnie (Hill) to say, “Yes,” and eat it.
Hill’s Improvised Line: In the first take, when DiCaprio asked the question, Hill—in a moment of sudden revenge—said, “No, you have it.” This improvised change was a shock to DiCaprio, forcing his character to eat the last piece of raw yellowtail sushi. Because the first take, with the improvised line, was brilliant and captured the specific energy director Martin Scorsese wanted, DiCaprio was forced to match the take for the remainder of the lengthy filming session.
The “Poison”: Dozens of Takes
The scene, which was a pivotal exchange for the film’s plot, required dozens of takes—with reports ranging from 70 to 100 takes over the course of the day. Because DiCaprio, as a dedicated method actor, insisted on eating the sushi in every single take to maintain continuity and realism, he consumed an enormous amount of raw fish.
The cumulative effect was disastrous: DiCaprio ended up consuming an excessive, and ultimately toxic, quantity of the prop food. By the end of the long night of shooting, the excessive amount of raw yellowtail took its toll. DiCaprio was reportedly “on the floor, throwing up into a waste bin” right on set. Martin Scorsese, who was present, later pleaded with his star not to finish each take by actually gobbling the raw yellowtail, but the actor insisted.
According to Hill, the only two people who found the consequence of the prank hilarious were himself and Martin Scorsese, who was “laughing hysterically” at the situation, appreciating the accidental comedic timing of the revenge. DiCaprio’s dedication to the scene, despite his suffering, earned the deep respect of his director and co-star.
Related Notable Events: The Method and The Mayhem
The sushi incident is characteristic of the actors’ commitment to realism. For a later scene in The Revenant (2015), DiCaprio infamously ate raw bison liver, despite being a vegetarian, to ensure the scene’s authenticity—a commitment that ultimately earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor. The sushi incident is also often confused with another food-related anecdote from the film where Hill’s character famously swallowed a live goldfish (a stunt Hill performed using a live, non-toxic fish that he spit back out after the take).
Jonah Hill’s script-flipping revenge was a classic example of on-set mayhem that resulted in a powerful, memorable scene—even if it came at the expense of Leonardo DiCaprio’s digestive system.