Jonah Hill Had to Take a Real Hit from Jon Bernthal in This Scorsese Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio absolutely nailed it in The Wolf of Wall Street, but we have to give props to Jonah Hill for his crazy dedication
When we think of movie magic, we often imagine special effects, CGI, and stunt doubles. But sometimes, the most memorable scenes are the ones that are real. While there are many unforgettable scenes in Martin Scorsese ’s The Wolf of Wall Street, one of them stands out.
In the movie, there's a scene where Brad, played by Jon Bernthal, gets pretty annoyed with Donnie, Jonah Hill's character. This results in a punch that wasn't just acting. Yes, Jonah Hill took a real hit from Jon Bernthal.
While they tried to fake the punch initially, Jon Bernthal revealed on The Howard Stern Show that it just didn't look authentic enough for Scorsese. So, they went for the real deal.
Jonah Hill, looking back at the scene during an interview with Vanity Fair, even mentioned that it's one of his favorite scenes he's ever acted in.
The idea of the real punch started with Scorsese himself. Jonah, staying in character, had been teasing Bernthal off-camera. When it came time to film, Scorsese felt the fake punches looked, well, fake. He suggested trying a real punch.
Jonah couldn’t say no to the legendary director. And so, the punch happened. Jonah's fake teeth even flew out, and Scorsese, ever the perfectionist, wanted to capture the swelling on camera.
Jonah Hill's commitment to the film wasn't just about taking punches. He was so eager to work with Scorsese that he took a massive pay cut, accepting the SAG minimum, just to be part of the project.
He once said, "I would sell my house and give [Scorsese] all my money to work with him." (per The Hollywood Reporter).
But the punch wasn't the only real thing on set. Jonah also revealed that he had to be hospitalized after inhaling too much fake cocaine, which was actually vitamin powder. He joked about having so much vitamin D that he felt superhuman (via Yahoo).
However, those viewers who watched the punch scene after finding out that the punch was real, were not really impressed. Even though it is supposed to look real, it kind of looks like a classic movie punch. But we still can’t help but admire Hill’s dedication.
Source: The Howard Stern Show on YT, Vanity Fair, THR, Yahoo