Leonardo DiCaprio reveals his stepmother is Sikh and shares how Brad Pitt reacted to them on set

Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed a lesser-known detail about his family that caught many fans off guard: his stepmother is Sikh. The Hollywood actor shared the personal insight in a recent interview with Time magazine, where he reflected on his upbringing and his father’s unconventional background.



“My stepmother is a Sikh. My father is from the sort of hippie counterculture, grew up in San Fran in Los Angeles. He hung out with a lot of the underground art movement in the Los Angeles of the 70s,” DiCaprio told Time.


DiCaprio’s stepmother, Peggy DiCaprio, is an Amritdhari Sikh. She wears a turban and is often seen in traditional Indian attire. According to reports, Peggy embraced Sikhism years ago, though she began wearing a turban only in more recent years.

She married George DiCaprio in 1995 and has a son, Adam Farrar, who is Leonardo DiCaprio’s stepbrother. George DiCaprio had previously been married to Leonardo’s mother, Irmelin Indenbirken; the couple divorced when the actor was just one year old.

Brad Pitt didn’t believe they were his parents

During the same interview, DiCaprio recalled a memorable moment from the set of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, when his father and stepmother visited during filming. He said his co-star Brad Pitt initially refused to believe the couple were actually his parents.



“I remember when we are turning a corner out of Musso and Frank's into Hollywood Boulevard. I said to Brad, ‘That’s my dad and my stepmom there, and he goes, ‘Yeah, right!’ I said no, that's them! He goes, ‘Yeah! right!’ I said I know they look like extras in this movie but that's really them! That's how they dress everyday. It was an amazing moment!” DiCaprio said.

Leonardo DiCaprio's mother

Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother, Irmelin Indenbirken, has largely stayed out of the spotlight despite her son’s global fame. Born in Germany, she moved to the United States at a young age and raised DiCaprio as a single mother after separating from his father, George DiCaprio. Leonardo has often credited her for supporting him through financial struggles in his early years and encouraging his acting ambitions, even driving him to countless auditions across Los Angeles.

What Leonardo DiCaprio is working on now

DiCaprio was last seen in One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film also stars Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti.



The story follows Bob, a washed-up former revolutionary living off-grid with his daughter, Willa. Their isolated life unravels when Bob’s longtime enemy, Lockjaw, reappears after 16 years, triggering Willa’s disappearance and forcing Bob to confront his past. The film was released in theatres on September 26 and received universal acclaim.