‘A work of fiction’: Wolf Of Wall Street blasted by ‘real’ Donnie Azoff
THE real-life inspiration for Jonah Hill’s character in movie smash The Wolf of Wall Street has blasted the film’s “laughable” claim to be based on a true story.
Danny Porush, 56, worked alongside corrupt New York trader Jordan Belfort in
the 1990s — and their life of excess is the plot of the Martin Scorsese flick.
But he has insisted the character played by Hill, 30, bears no resemblance to reality.
Hill was last week nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing the role — called Donnie Azoff in the movie — while Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Belfort.
Unlike the movie character, Porush has claimed he didn't engage in a threesome with Belfort or hurl any dwarfs around the office during the hedonistic days in New York.
He also denied exposing himself in public and taking drugs despite Belfort’s claims in his 2007 book to the contrary — but he DID confess to scoffing an employee's goldfish.
Porush told The Sun: “The character in the movie is not me. I had nothing to do with the film and I don't live in the past.
"It comes from the imagination of Hollywood writers. I've seen the film and I didn't know what was going to happen next. It's a complete work of fiction.”
Porush’s outrageous antics as Junior Partner at Stratton Oakmont became the stuff of legend and are the basis for the film’s most controversial scenes.
And he said: "I said to one of the brokers: 'If you don't do more business, I'm going to eat your goldfish!' So I did.
"But we never abused or threw the midgets in the office - we were friendly to them.
"Stratton was like a fraternity. A lot of goofing around, hazing — but the worst we ever did was shave somebody's head and then pay them ten grand for it.
"I never smoked crack and I never pulled out my penis at a party. I am a well-respected businessman, a father of eight and well-respected in my community."
Porush, now running his own business in Florida, also denied he ever had a threesome with Belfort and a 17-year-old worker.
He said: "I'm not homophobic, but I never had sex with a girl with another guy. I've been with a zillion women, several women at the same time — but only just with women. And never any minors."
He has also insisted that since leaving jail in 2004 he has made sure not to profit from his crimes — but accuses his old partner Belfort of cashing in on his notoriety.
He said: “I made no money from the movie. I have never tried to profit from a crime I am remorseful for, and I didn't try to profit from the movie.
“I spoke to Jordan this past summer I told him he should have come out of prison and started a new legit business, not live in the past.
“I have put this behind me. It is almost 20 years ago. It belongs in the past and it should have stayed.
"I am not the one making money off the crime, I went to prison over it."
Jonah recently revealed how much he hated the character Azoff.
He said: "They say you’re not supposed to judge the character at all and I tried my hardest, but I couldn’t really find that much I really liked about Donnie.
“I just didn’t like the way that Donnie treated people, that was the thing I had the hardest time with.
“There’s a scene with a goldfish where I throw a lit cigarette at this kid and make him cry and fire him and eat his goldfish and it’s really degrading.
“On the way home I would just be like: ‘Oh gosh, what did I do today?’ I would feel bad.”