The Wolf of Wall Street / Characters

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Stratton Oakmont

Jordan Belfort

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/revenu_universel.jpg

"Was all this legal? Absolutely fucking not."

Played By: Leonardo DiCaprio

"Let me tell you something. There's no nobility in poverty. I have been a rich man and I have been a poor man. And I choose rich every fuckin' time. Because, at least as a rich man, when I have to face my problems, I show up in the back of the limo, wearing a $2000 suit and a $40,000 gold fuckin' watch."

The film's protagonist: a stockbroker running a Wall Street firm based on scamming people through a pump-and-dump scheme.

Abusive Parents: Attempts to kidnap his daughter and risks seriously hurting her when he accidentally crashes the car with her inside, though this is after his wife plans to take full custody of her and their son in their divorce. He wasn't a particularly stellar role-model of a parent beforehand, though.
Adaptational Personality Change: While being largely the same, there are several differences between film Belfort and the real-life Belfort (as far as his memoir indicates). In the film, Jordan frequently does drugs because he's a hedonist who loves getting high. In his biography, he states that the real reason he did so many drugs was because he suffered from severe back pain due to an injury (which gets a brief nod in the film) and used drugs as a way to cope with it. Furthermore, he actually did quit Stratton Oakmont and leave it in the hands of others, which is in direct contrast to his defiant refusal to quit (though, the real Belfort did remain as an advisor). Finally, in a mild case of Adaptational Villainy, Belfort was heavily remorseful over his drug abuse and treatment of both his wives. He constantly reminisces over his first wife and berates himself for having taken her for granted, recognizes his drug problem and tries sobering up on several occasions, and after trying to kidnap his daughter in the midst of his failing second marriage, he almost commits suicide out of guilt, and then later patches the marriage up (but only for a little while longer). The film shrugs most of these off as minorly fleeting cases of guilt.
Affably Evil: Polite, charming and slick, he's nevertheless the worst character in the film (except for maybe Donnie).
Always a Bigger Fish: For all of his wealth, he's still far removed from the true power players of Wall Street. He attempts to use this to his advantage at one point, offering to spill the beans on "the real bad guys". It doesn't work.
Animal Motif: He's the eponymous Wolf of Wall Street.
Big Bad: Of Stratton Oakmont.
Billionaire Wristband: Among the many things Jordan Belfort boasts about is his "$40,000 gold fucking watch." Turns out it's actually gold-plated and cost only $1,000 in real life at the time of its release.
Bits of Me Keep Passing Out: An effect of the quaaludes that Jordan enjoys.
Bond Villain Stupidity: He invites Agent Denham to meet him on his yacht against the extremely passionate advice of his private detective. He even calls himself a 'Bond villain' and tries to bribe Denham. This just brings him more attention and encourages Denham to take him down.
Bullying a Dragon: See Bond Villain Stupidity.
Card-Carrying Villain: He fully admits to being like a 'Bond villain'...to an FBI agent.
Casual Kink: Belfort is into bondage and seems to particularly enjoy having a lit candle rammed up his ass and hot wax being poured down his back. Granted, he did seem a little taken aback that the dominatrix refused to accept his safeword.
Consummate Liar: It's incredibly tricky to tell when Jordan is telling the truth, a lie, or a combination of the two. He is, simply put, the Prince of Lies.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Despite Belfort being a sleazebag who looks at women as trophies and toys and most of his staff no different, Stratton Oakmont includes quite a few women at work including a struggling single mother like Kimmie Belzer, who he cites as someone he believed in. Given his debauchery, that says quite a bit.
Even Evil Has Standards: Occasionally shows this. Was considering letting Donnie choke to death after he got Brad arrested. But he goes ahead and saves his life after Naomi reminded him that Donnie was a father and had kids. Also after sobering up from a drug-induced frenzy he was pretty appalled to find he'd called someone the n-word.
Executive Excess: Already the head of a corrupt stock-brokerage firm operating a pump-and-dump scheme on hundreds of duped investors, he's also notoriously hedonistic: in his own words, he gambles like a degenerate, drinks like a fish, fucks hookers five or six times a week, and does so many drugs over the course of his day he practically timetables them. Plus, he hosts ludicrously decadent parties for his employees at the end of every month, and took his fellow brokers on a stag night that wrecked the entire 28th floor of the Mirage hotel, which had to be refurbished out of Belfort's own pocket.
Fourth-Wall Observer: He often talks directly to the camera and the audience. He cuts himself off in the middle of some stockbroker jargon to get to the point for the benefit of the audience.
Functional Addict: It gets to a point where Jordan operates better (short-term) high on cocaine. He has a great knowledge of drugs; when to take them, what drugs to take to balance out the other drugs he's taking...
- Deconstructed, naturally, when it turns out that his body skips the "high" phase of the quaaludes and takes a while to just shortcut to him crashing out. His body has just become so used to them.
Greedy Jew: Averted. The real Jordan was Jewish, but the movie never brings it up so he's just a Greedy American as far as anyone is concerned.
The Hedonist: A perfect example. He's a sex-crazed, alcoholic drug addict who literally fucks his wife on a pile of money.
Heel Realisation: Upon seeing a plane he very nearly boarded explode, he figures out that it's probably about time he shaped up. Doesn't last long though, see Ignored Epiphany.
Hookers and Blow: He's practically the poster boy for this. One of the opening scenes shows him snorting coke from a prostitute's ass.
Hypocrite: He's a crook who leeches money off of clients (or "stooges" as he would call them) who complains when the FBI starts knocking at his door. He accuses Naomi of being a Gold Digger when she asks for a divorce when his ship is sinking, forgetting that he only took her as his mistress and wife because he saw her as a Trophy Wife and cheated on Teresa, the woman who was genuinely loyal to him.
Ignored Epiphany: Happens more than once, first when his dad convinces him to step down from his job to avoid being targeted by the FBI. Later when he attempts to give up his vices, upon being told his wife wants a divorce and sole custody of their daughter he falls instantly back into old habits.
Irony: Jordan is finally caught not for something he actually did, but because his banker got caught in a completely unrelated crime and ratted him out to save his own skin. The irony of this is so great that Jordan busts into a long-winded rant once he finds out.
Jordan: Benihana? Beni-fucking-hana?! BENI-FUCKING-HANA?!! WHY?!!! WHY, WHY GOD?! Why would you be so cruel as to choose a chain of fucking hibachi restaurants to take me down?!
It's All About Me: Only cares about his own well-being and consuming and sucking everything out of the people around him.
Jerkass: When on drugs or at his absolute worst, he is the epitome of this.
Karma Houdini: Sure, he goes through very tough times, gets his company ruined and loses his friends, wife and children...but he still gets off pretty easy considering his crimes.
Karma Houdini Warranty: For all of his idiotic and impulsive decisions, Jordan's arrest never actually comes from his own actions. When Saurel is arrested for an unrelated crime on US Soil, he plea bargains with the FBI and tells them about all of Jordan's illegal activities.
Lack of Empathy: Jordan's biggest concern is himself and shows little sympathy for others. He's thoughtless at best, narcissistic at the middle, and The Sociopath at the worst.
Large Ham: He turns enthusiastic salesmanship into something akin to an evangelical furor.
Laughably Evil: He's remorseless, psychopathic, selfish, and an utter jackass to boot, but damn does he make all of these look hilarious.
Madness Mantra: Usually when Jordan is so high he should be clinically dead and there's a disaster of his own making all around him, he fixates on one thing and one thing only:
"GET/FIND/SAVE THE 'LUUDES!!!!"
Manchild: Is incapable of keeping his emotions in check or repressing his appetite for sex and drugs. The few times someone manages to pierce his macho facade, he quickly resorts to screaming and violent outbursts to mask his vulnerabilities.
My God, What Have I Done?: Jordan has this towards the end. The FBI have him dead to rights, he has just fallen off the wagon and after hitting his wife, attempted to flee with his daughter while still wearing his court-ordered ankle monitor. Jordan realizes how far he has fallen. Though, see Ignored Epiphany above, it doesn't stick for long.
Narcissist: Is convinced of his own intelligence and superiority.
Jordan: Fuck them [his marks], I knew how to spend it [money] better!
Nice to the Waiter: Zig-zagged. During his opening scene, Jordan is shown cordially greeting his driver and butler on a first-name basis. However, when he's high (which is often), he is incredibly abusive to service staff, to the point that he has to be strapped down on a plane to stop him from abusing the flight staff.
No Honor Among Thieves: Zig-zagged. Holds the motto that "There's no friends on Wall Street," and works hard to help out the men and women working under him at Stratton. When he's busted by the FBI, he's reluctant to rat on his friends, but ultimately agrees to wear a wire in return for a reduced sentence. But even then, he tries to keep his friends from incriminating themselves on tape, sparing them from the FBI's wrath. When he gets caught for that, however, he finally cracks in the face of real, serious jailtime and sells out everyone in the firm while he himself gets a comfortable stay at a minimum-security resort prison.
Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Initially, he's a skilled, but unremarkable Wall Street broker. But when he turns the sales skills he learned towards Penny Stocks (which are full of comparatively untrained brokers), he rapidly becomes a star.
Pet the Dog: He does show clear remorse after his wife finds out about his infidelity. And he also saves Donnie (who can be seen as a slightly lesser evil), despite being barely able to move at the time. To a smaller extent, his hiring of Kimmie Belzer also counts.
Playing the Victim Card: His narration tries to paint himself as an innocent victim who is being targeted by the FBI because they don't want him to be successful when it's obvious that he's a thief who is being pursued because he's breaking the law.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Has to be reminded that little people need to be treated like human beings and have their rights respected. He also refers to one of his butler's friends as a "faggot." However, he is horrified to learn that he used the N-word while on a drug-fueled frenzy.
Pride: He does not take it well after Denham calls him a "little man."
Protagonist Journey to Villain: The basic plot of the movie. When he meets with Hanna on his first day on Wall Street, Jordan is uncomfortable around him, actually concerned about the clients and shocked by the outrageous things Hannah tells him about the real nature of the business. By the end of the story, he's committed almost every transgression, and then some.
Psychopathic Manchild: In In addition to being a heavily corrupt stockbroker with sociopathic qualities, Jordan also acts like a petty, immature Spoiled Brat who makes his outbursts of anger look like a tantrum. Naomi even called him an infant at one point and practically had to raise their daughter on her own because Jordan was an irresponsible prick.
Race Lift: The real Jordan was Jewish, but that fact is ignored in the movie possibly to avoid the Greedy Jew trope.
Really Gets Around: Jordan slips into this when he's intoxicated, which is most of the time. He's a real piece of work when he goes too far, crossing into Dude, Not Funny! territory when he dry humps an air hostess and has to be strapped to his chair.
Riches to Rags: Brutally subverted, which is what makes the ending so poignant. After getting caught by the FBI and losing his Swiss bank account, it seems like Jordan will go bankrupt soon due to having to pay bail, lawyers, and restitutions, but then Donnie and the partners swoop to his rescue, leaving him with only restitution to worry about (which he can pay in installments over the course of decades). Later, once he's incarcerated, his narration makes it clear that he's still rich and can afford to pay for a very comfortable time there. Even years down the line, he's shown making a comfortable living as a motivational speaker.
Rousing Speech: Jordan gives several, usually to his employees and partners. He's actually really good at them.
Self-Made Lie: Jordan presents himself as proof hard work and ambition can get you the American Dream. However, he leaves out the part about being a white collar criminal whose accomplishments are almost entirely through illegal means.
Small Name, Big Ego: As absurdly rich as Jordan becomes, at the end of the day he is never more than a small fry by the standards of the true, big-shot Wall Street sharks who actually operate on Wall Street, make more money, and have a lot more connections with people in power that gives them considerably more influence in the financial industry.
Smug Snake: When he tries to take this to Bond Villain levels in the yacht scene, it proved to be Too Dumb to Live, since it invoked the personal attention of the FBI.
Jordan: Was all this legal? Absolutely fucking not!"
Speed Sex: Jordan's two scenes of having sex with Naomi are pathetic and last under a minute.
The Social Darwinist: Jordan believes that if people are stupid enough to buy into his schemes then they're idiots who deserve the consequences.
Stimulant Speedtalk: Though he's an Undiscriminating Addict, it's clear that he uses cocaine for the power to rant and ramble over the course of his workday. Among other things, he's seen honking a veritable train track of Colombian marching powder through a rolled-up dollar bill right before embarking on another weekly speech before his brokers, and such speeches often feature him getting both impressively motormouthed and incredibly bombastic.
Stupid Evil: Honestly, how else can you describe an extraordinarily corrupt stockbroker who goes out of his way to get the attention of the FBI after being explicitly told that they would likely forget about him soon?
Took a Level in Jerkass: He starts off as a Naïve Newcomer who wants to help his clients make money too. Then Hanna takes him under his wing and he becomes a Villain Protagonist.
Unreliable Narrator: He ups his own intelligence and skill, with his description of the drive home from the country club being the biggest example. He also attempts to use the narration to paint himself as an innocent victim who's being picked on by the FBI, saying that they only want him busted for being successful, though in that case the pictures displayed don't quite match up with his words.
Villain Protagonist: Even if he's Affably Evil, Jordan is still a vile, unrepentant criminal who remorselessly swindled hundreds of people for his own gain.
Villainous Valor: He may be a rat who will betray his employees, but he will not betray Donnie whom he thinks just helped pay off his bail and lawyers. Then it turns out that Donnie ratted him out anyways.
Wealthy Yacht Owner: A particularly big one, called Naomi. His own greed and selfishness sees it destroyed in a storm.
Would Hit a Girl: When his wife tells him she wants a divorce and custody of their children, Jordan punches her in the face and stomach in order to get to his daughter.

Donnie Azoff

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/academy_award_nominee_jonah_hill_9.jpg

Played By: Jonah Hill

"I tell you what: you show me a pay-stub for $72,000 on it, I quit my job, I work for you."

Jordan's right hand man at Stratton, who initially meets him at a crummy diner before helping set up their firm.

Adaptational Name Change: His real-life counterpart was named "Danny Porush." His name was changed after Porush threatened to sue over his portrayal. Nevertheless, the two are fairly similar in role, appearance, and alleged personality (the goldfish scene and marrying his cousin are both things he did, for example).
Ambiguously Bi: While he is married to his female cousin, Jordan's gay butler notes that he saw Donny dancing at a gay bar and knowing a gay guy. Donnie quickly gets defensive. He also speaks highly of going on vacations with his gay cousin and "loves fags." Later, he randomly accuses Brad of having a thing for him.
Bad Boss: Eats an employee's goldfish for cleaning his fishbowl on New Issue Day, then leads the firm in shaming him out of the office.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Initially appears to be decent-ish, but willingly gets caught up in the whole affair. He also rats Jordan out when he tries to save Donnie's own skin from the FBI.
Boisterous Weakling: He acts tough but vomits at the sight of Chester bloodying the butler's nose, and later gets knocked out by Brad with one punch. Plus, he's very quick to join Jordan in taunting the FBI and pissing on subpoenas - but only in private: during the mass-arrest of Strattonites, while everyone else is loudly protesting, Donnie is cowering in his office in mute terror.
Boomerang Bigot: Being Ambiguously Bi doesn't stop him from using "faggots" as an insult.
Bullying a Dragon: Donnie frequently taunts Brad, a drug-dealing bodybuilder who carries a gun.
Caught with Your Pants Down: When Donny sees Naomi for the first time. Subverted in that he doesn't even try to hide it, as he's in the middle of a crowded party and completely high and drunk.
Cloud Cuckoolander: Donnie can go off on some weird tangents.
Composite Character: Aside from Porush, Donnie is based on two other people: Elliot Lavigne and Dave Beall. Lavigne was an associate of Belfort whom Donnie got some of his more poisonous traits from, and also inspired the scene of Jordan performing the Heimlich maneuver on Donnie (and contemplating letting him die), which Belfort had actually done on Lavigne. Meanwhile, Dave Beall, a Strattonite and a lifelong friend of Belfort's, was whom Belfort originally was tasked to speak with while wearing a wire, like he does with Donnie in the film. Unlike Donnie though, he doesn't rat Jordan out, the FBI simply got suspicious after several months of nothing and made Jordan confess to passing notes to Beall.
The Dragon: As Stratton Oakmont's vice-president, he serves as this to Jordan.
Even Evil Has Standards: He's as shocked as Jordan when the latter called the plane captain the n-word.
Fatal Flaw: Pride. His first meeting with Brad Bodnick has Brad rudely refusing to shake Donnie's hand. This likely kicked off Donnie's deliberate needling of him later in the film and the subsequent conflict between the two.
Fat Bastard: He's quite hefty and about as amoral as Jordan. He might be worse considering that he rats Jordan out to the FBI after they start coming down on their enterprise.
Hate Sink: For all he does to Brad and Jordan, in the infamous kitchen scene it's hard not to root for the fistful of ham he just gobbles down to choke Donnie to death and put him out of Jordan's misery.
Historical Villain Upgrade: Unlike Azoff, Porush never ratted Jordan or anyone else out.
Kissing Cousins: Him and his wife.
"It's not like... Look. We grew up together, and she grew up hot, you know. She fuckin' grew up hot and all of my friends were trying to fuck her, you know, and I wasn't... I'm not gonna let someone, you know, one of these assholes fuck my cousin. So I, you know, used the cousin thing as like... like an in with her. I'm not gonna let someone else fuck my cousin, you know? If anyone is gonna fuck my cousin it's gonna be me, out of... out of respect, you know?"
No Honor Among Thieves: When Jordan tips him off that he's wearing a wire, he uses the knowledge to sell Jordan out in return for a reduced sentence of his own.
Politically Incorrect Villain: He tries explaining that he's not homophobic on two different occasions, while using the words "fag" and "faggot" in the first case. He later refers to Rugrat as "that wig wearing faggot."
Slimeball: Even more so than Jordan. Unlike Jordan and some of the other characters, Donnie demonstrates almost no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
The Sociopath: A low-functioning example.
Too Dumb to Live: Donnie takes the cake in needlessly aggravating Brad, a musclebound associate who has a gun on him and ends up getting him arrested, almost leading to the downfall of the entire firm. Granted, there's plenty of stupidity to go around, but Donnie's the biggest offender short of Jordan.
Troll: He clearly enjoys getting on people's nerves, even when it's really not in his best interests. Quite apart from deliberately quibbling with Max Belfort just to hammer his Berserk Button, he also goes out of his way to aggravate Brad - in the middle of a very sensitive money-laundering deal.

Brad Bodnick

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7116_1532336916.jpg

Played By: Jon Bernthal

"You get any pussy with that thing, or what?"

Jordan's drug dealer, and a silent partner at his firm.

Actually Pretty Funny: Negotiating with Donnie over something as simple as a money handover clearly drives him to the brink of madness, but being called "the Emperor of Fucksville" actually makes him crack a smile and hastily cover his mouth.
Adaptational Name Change: He is based on Belfort's real-life drug dealer, who was named Todd Garrett.
Badass in a Nice Suit: A gang member and wears a nice suit.
Basement-Dweller: He makes a living selling drugs to high schoolers. His very first scene reveals that he lives with his mother despite looking like he could be in his forties and he hollers to her like a kid about what's for dinner.
Brooklyn Rage: One of the angrier characters.
Death by Adaptation: Brad is mentioned to have died of a heart attack, but Todd's fate is never mentioned in the book. He did have a weak heart and undergo a heart transplant after his arrest however, which may have inspired this.^note
Genius Bruiser: A bodybuilder and gangster, Brad's actually one of the smartest members of Jordan's inner circle; quite apart from instantly grasping the nature of the "sell me this pen" lecture, he masterminds a way for Jordan to smuggle money into Geneva via his wife and her family, and unlike Donnie, seems to grasp the fact that making a scene in public during a money exchange is a bad idea. He's also capable enough to easily knock Donnie out with one punch.
Greedy Jew: Downplayed. He's a Jew and a criminal who launders millions of dollars for crooked stockbrokers. However, he could have become a broker himself and chooses not to, preferring to be a silent partner for less money but more stability. Later, when he gets released from prison and decides to go clean, he refuses all the money Jordan gives him.
Hidden Depths: Brad seems like just a muscular tough guy but he gradually proves himself to be one of the smartest characters in the film and a crucial part of Jordan's operation.
Hot-Blooded: Brad can usually be found in a particularly fiery mood over something, usually thanks to slow waitresses or Donnie.
Killed Offscreen: Of a heart attack of all things.
Only Sane Man: One of the few in the office. While still a drug dealer and criminal, he shows a better brain than the other characters. He doesn't join in the firm along with Jordan's other friends, preferring to be a silent partner to help keep money off the books. After he gets caught and sent to jail for three months, he decides to get out of the game entirely rather than continue on with Jordan's schemes, even refusing to have Jordan pay for his time in jail. And of all the people Jordan brings in to help him establish his own firm, he's the only person who manages to understand Jordan's "Sell me this pen" motivation speech.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Refers to Donnie as a faggot after knocking him out.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After he gets arrested during the money exchange with Donnie and spends three months in jail for refusing to testify, he decides to cut his losses and stop helping Jordan with his schemes, even refusing to have Jordan pay for his time in jail. He doesn't get to live much longer after that.
Smarter Than You Look: On the surface, Brad looks to be a typical small-time dealer with more muscles than brains but he is very adept and cunning and one of the major parts of Jordan's operation.

Nicky 'Rugrat' Koskoff

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/qwjhn3vstwn3xfpzkjisovklam.jpg

Played By: P. J. Byrne

A stockbroker who helps start Stratton Oakmont.

Adaptational Name Change: He is based on Andrew "Wigwam" Greene.^note Despite the name change, Andrew Greene was none too happy with the portrayal and tried to sue the filmmakers over it.
Berserk Button: Mentioning his toupee is a guaranteed means of getting on his nerves.
Composite Character: While mainly based on Greene, he is also partly based on Gary Kaminski, the wig-wearing Chief Financial Officer of Dollar Time Corporation (which used Stratton Oakmont's financial services), and Elliot Loewenstern, one of Belfort's childhood friends who was also one of the first Strattonites, and, yes, also wore a wig.
Dodgy Toupee:
Jordan Belfort: We called him Rugrat because of his piece of shit hair piece.
Evil Genius: Having gone to law school, he's one of the few members of the original Stratton-Oakmont team to have gotten any kind of higher education. As such, he's left in charge when Jordan and Donnie head off to Italy, and the contacts he acquired at school help as well. Unfortunately, he's still every bit as greedy and short-sighted as the other original Strattonites, and it ends up getting him and Saurel arrested - and taking Jordan with them.
Inelegant Blubbering: Rugrat does not respond well to being arrested.
Medium Awareness: During Rugrat's informal introduction alongside the other Strattonites, Jordan's narration mentions his Dodgy Toupee, prompting Rugrat to flip the bird to the camera and storm off.

Chester Ming

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/408565721.jpg

Played By: Kenneth Choi

"You gonna finish the rest of that danish?"

Another stockbroker hired by Jordan to start Stratton Oakmont.

Adaptational Name Change: From Victor Ming Wang to Chester Ming.
Adaptational Personality Change: The only real similarities he has with Wang is that he was one of the few Asian Strattonites, and also that he once beat Belfort's butler for information. Otherwise, they are very different: Chester Ming is an affable, loyal, somewhat dim member of Belfort's firm whose beating of the butler is kind of shocking, while Victor Wang was noted for being coolly stoic and more likely to perform such a brutal beating, and also came into direct conflict with Belfort by trying to run a competing firm known as Duke & Company, a conflict Wang eventually lost.
Asian Airhead: He's smarter than most of the other Strattonites, like Alden and Robbie, but he still thought that Jiu-Jitsu was in Israel.
Enemy Eats Your Lunch: "You gonna finish the rest of that Danish?"
High-Altitude Interrogation: Teams up with Toby to perform one of these on Jordan's butler.
Jabba Table Manners: Stuffs his face with pastries while being questioned by the authorities, and talks with his mouth full for good measure.
The Sociopath: Implied, since he's the main perpetrator of the butler's violent interrogation, and is known as "The Depraved Chinaman." Interestingly though, he also seems to be the only one who's disinterested in all the sex going on.
Tranquil Fury: Displays this during the butler interrogation scene; while Jordan and Donnie are shouting themselves hoarse, Chester very calmly puts out his cigarette, stands up, straightens his suit, and proceeds to beat the living shit out of the butler.
Villainous Glutton: The Big Eater and The Brute of Stratton Oakmont. Interestingly, Chester also tends to use his gluttony as a means of avoiding unwanted topics of conversation: having ordered the biggest meal during the meeting at the diner, he ducks out of Jordan's "sell me this pen" challenge by insisting on finishing his dinner first; later, while being interrogated by the feds, Chester deliberately holds up the questioning by gorging himself on pastries.

Alden Kupferberg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d948bb8e_df78_444d_8143_336342a57d55_screenshot.jpg

Played By: Henry Zebrowski

"And that's the thing: All nuns are lesbians."

Known as "The Sea Otter," he is one of the first Strattonites hired by Jordan.

Cloudcuckoolander: Constantly spouts information that is so vaguely connected to the conversation at hand, that it is practically a non-sequitur.
Comically Missing the Point: When Jordan claims that everyone wants money, Alden points out that he knows an Amish guy who only wants to make furniture.
Decomposite Character: Both he and Robbie Feinberg are based on Kenny Greene, a Junior Partner of Belfort's who is known as a dimwit and for making constantly zany statements. In an interesting case however, he's also a Composite Character, as he is also partially based on Howard Gelfand, an old, obnoxious, and overweight friend of Jordan's who was one of the first Strattonites.
The Ditz: It's noted that he didn't even graduate high school, and much of his dialogue indicates this. He nevertheless proves to be a competent stockbroker, so it is partially a case of Book Dumb.
Embarrassing First Name: There's nothing particularly wrong with "Alden," but the FBI agent interviewing him does slightly mock it right in front of him.
Fat Idiot: He's the most heavyset of the early Strattonites, and arguably the one with the poorest logical thinking skills.
Fan Disservice: His sex scene in the office. He is also shown briefly in the flight to Las Vegas with his hairy back turned to the camera, clad only in a pair of leopard-print briefs.
Seemingly Profound Fool: He thinks his response to Jordan's claim that everyone wants money (mentioned above) is an actually clever refute.
Small Role, Big Impact: Alden may have some lines here and there and is a Cloudcuckoolander at best, but him mentioning Naomi who just entered the party convinces Jordan to talk with her, which eventually evolves to dating and marrying her while divorcing Teresa, his first wife.

Robbie Feinberg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d8d88c44_a91b_4f82_8ecc_944fd71eda36_screenshot.jpg

Played By: Brian Sacca

Known as "The Pinhead," he is one of the first Strattonites hired by Jordan, later becoming a Junior Partner.

Blatant Lies: After his customer agrees to a sale on the phone, he laughs to himself before replying, "That is a very intelligent decision."
Book Dumb: He took five years to finish high school, doesn't know who Captain Ahab is, and mixes up "recommendation" with "recollection." Nonetheless, he is a competent broker who even becomes a Junior Partner.
Decomposite Character: Along with Alden Kupferberg, he is based on Kenny Greene, a Junior Partner of Belfort's known by the moniker "The Blockhead." Also serves as Adaptational Name Change.
Defiant to the End: Tries fighting off the FBI agent arresting him.
Embarrassing Nickname: "The Pinhead."
Malaproper: "I don't have any recommendation of that."
Suddenly Shouting: While on the phone with a customer: "I'm gonna transfer you to my sales assistant." (Puts phone to his chest). "RHONDA! RHONDA!? HAS ANYONE FUCKING SEEN RHONDA!?"

Toby Welch

Played By: Ethan Suplee

A former coworker of Jordan's from Investors Center, who later joins his firm.

Adaptational Name Change: He is based on Bobby Koch, a similarly intense Irish-American broker mentioned in Belfort's memoir.
The Brute: Along with Chester Ming, he gets physical with the butler and puts him through High-Altitude Interrogation.
Cathartic Scream: He is shown smashing a baseball bat into the floor while screaming at the top of his lungs as a demonstration of Stratton Oakmont's intense atmosphere.
Precision F-Strike: After witnessing Jordan sell penny stocks for four grand, along with the rest of the office: "How'd you fucking do that?"
Sixth Ranger: He joins Stratton Oakmont after it is founded. He's also not one of Jordan's close friends, rather a coworker of his from Investors Center.

Kimmie Belzer

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Played By: Stephanie Kurtzuba

A power-broker and one of the more notable female Strattonites.

Adaptational Name Change: She is based on Carrie Chodosh.
Cluster F-Bomb: Can be seen repeatedly swearing at the FBI officer cuffing her when they arrive to arrest members of the firm near the end of the film.
Glamorous Single Mother: Subverted. Kimmie's Wicked Cultured demeanor and attitude towards the rest of the firm belies the fact that she was a scrappy, desperate mother who just wanted to earn enough money to send her son through college.
The Heckler: Heckles Steve Madden about the Mary Lou, calling it a fat girl shoe.
Rags to Riches: Starts out as a poor, single mother who "didn't have two nickels to rub together", then joins Jordan's firm and becomes a rich, successful power-broker who can more than hold her own with the rest of the group.
Small Role, Big Impact: She only shows up for one scene in particular (Jordan's "farewell" speech) and can be seen in the background of several others, but is used as an example (possibly the only one) of Jordan's Pet the Dog tendencies.
Undying Loyalty: She was one of Stratton Oakmont's original 20 brokers, and was hired by Jordan because he believed in her. She can be seen giving him a back massage at one point in the film, and tells everyone how much she loves him for what he did during his "retirement" speech.
Wicked Cultured: Described by Jordan as someone who wears $3,000 Armani suits, drives a brand-new Mercedes Benz and spends her vacations jetting between the Bahamas in the winter and the Hamptons in the summer.

Jordan's Family

Naomi Lapaglia

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Played By: Margot Robbie

Jordan's second wife.

Adaptational Name Change: The real Duchess of Bay Ridge was named Nadine Caridi.
Adaptational Personality Change: Nadine in the memoir, while still being rather fiery as Naomi is, seems to genuinely love Jordan and is presented as a bit more tolerant of his behavior, and she tries harder to patch up her marriage with him as it starts falling apart, unlike Naomi, who simply decides to divorce him.
Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Teresa's Betty. She's sexy, hot-blooded, and Jordan's Trophy Wife. Ironically, unlike the Trope Namer, she's a blonde.
Cleavage Window: Naomi is dressed like this when she is introduced.
Everyone Has Standards: She seems genuinely terrified when Donnie starts choking on ham, screaming at Jordan that they have to help him and pointing out that Donnie has children. As Jordan attempts to administer CPR, she can also be heard in the background telling the maid to call 911.
Fleeting Passionate Hobbies:
Jordan: You're an aspiring landscape architect? But what happened to wine connoisseur? Oh wait, that was last month!
Gold Digger: Debatably so. She used to be Jordan's mistress and fully aware of his worst tendencies. She stuck with him through drug binges, money laundering and police investigations, and only left when he finally faced the music. Whether she got wise or left the sinking ship may be only a matter of perspective. Of course, from her perspective, Jordan only ever saw her as his Trophy Wife, not even caring about the death of her Aunt Emma, and blatantly cheated on her throughout their marriage. Even if she was one, it's hard not to feel she has the higher ground when she decides to protect her children from Jordan.
Hypocrite: The first scene of post-wedding "bliss" shows Naomi throwing water on Jordan after angrily (and correctly) accusing him of cheating on her the night before. Considering that she knowingly and enthusiastically helped him cheat on his previous wife, this can come across as hypocritical of her.
Mama Bear: As flawed as she may be, she adores her children, and threatens to kill Jordan if he puts them in danger.
Ms. Fanservice: Her ridiculous sexiness prompts a drugged up Donny to start masturbating as soon as he sees her, she has multiple lovingly crafted scenes focusing on her body and of course her by-now infamous fully nude scene.
Trophy Wife: To Jordan.

Teresa Petrillo

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Played By: Cristin Milioti

Jordan's first wife.

Adaptational Name Change: From Denise Lombardo to Teresa Petrillo.
Adaptational Personality Change: The somewhat meek and diffident Denise Lombardo from the memoir contrasts with Teresa Petrillo's Brooklyn Rage characterization.
Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Naomi's Veronica. She's demure, sweet and married Jordan when he was poor. Ironically, unlike the Trope Namer she's dark-haired.
Break the Cutie: Oh, boy. All she ever did was just being a loving and supportive wife for Jordan, who cheats on her numerous times the richer he gets. When Teresa finally caught him in the act with Naomi and tearfully asked him if Jordan loves Naomi, Jordan silently admits that he does, causing her to break down on the streets. And after all that, Jordan being the ass he is, just divorced her after three days with little guilt.
Put on a Bus: She disappears after having caught Jordan cheating on her and slapping him all over the streets. Justified, since Jordan divorced her to marry Naomi and considering what happened to Jordan later in the film, it's for the best.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She's the one who finds the wanted ad for Investor's Center and then later unintentionally gives Jordan the idea to start selling penny stocks to rich people.

Max Belfort

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Played By: Rob Reiner

"Who the FUCK has the goddamn GALL to call this house on a Tuesday night?!"

Jordan's father, who he hires as Stratton's accountant/"enforcer." His temper earns him the nickname "Mad Max."

Berserk Button: Do not call "Mad Max" at home on Tuesday nights when The Equalizer is on.
Enraged by Idiocy: Frequently, given his position as Stratton-Oakmont's last sane employee. Quite apart from loudly berating Jordan and the others during his second scene and attempting to vainly shout down the crowd at Jordan's "farewell," he also can be found letting rip at the sight of brokers doing somersaults over their latest deals - while the SEC are in the office.
...what the fuck are these imbeciles doing?!
Fake Brit: In-Universe. He answers the telephone in a fake British accent, because he is such a huge fan of The Equalizer, which stars a Brit.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Gets him called "Mad Max".
- Informed Attribute: His temper really doesn't show much apart from his introductory scene and the scene where he confronts Jordan about the firm's expenses. Plus, compared to the temper-tantrums displayed by the other Strattonites, Max's rare explosions are often pretty justified, so it's only a hair-trigger temper from Jordan's perspective.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: To some extent. He has one hell of a temper if you interrupt his favourite show, but he genuinely loves his son and wants him to quit while he's ahead. The look on his face when he doesn't is heartbreaking.
Not So Above It All: Unlike everyone else at Stratton-Oakmont, Max is an honest accountant and a faithful husband. That said, he's not above some playfully obscene remarks: on top of being very frank in his discussion of "the bush" during a private chat with Jordan, he's also very happy to provide (drunken) uncensored sex advice on his son's wedding video, much to the exasperated amusement of his wife.
Only Sane Man: Temper and odd phone voice aside, he's one of the few who recognizes how obscene Jordan and his cronies' behavior is and tries to call it quits while the game's good. He's also shown avoiding the Executive Excess of the lifestyle (though he only really cares about the costs).
Token Good Teammate: The only member of Stratton-Oakmont to not be a morally-bankrupt, hedonistic jackass.
Tranquil Fury: Call him when "The Equalizer" is on, and he'll speak to you politely in his fake British accent. When he hangs up, he lets loose.
Undying Loyalty: Toward Jordan, understandably so given he's his father. Constantly urges him to do the right thing and offers very meaningful advice, which Jordan continuously ignores, but he still stands by his son through the worst of it. At the end of the film when Jordan has pushed away everyone who meant anything to him, he turns to see his parents in the gallery as he's being led to prison, smiling at him reassuringly.

Aunt Emma

Played By: Joanna Lumley

Naomi's aunt, who helps Jordan with money laundering.

Adaptational Name Change: The real Aunt Emma was actually named "Patricia."
Character Death: Dies of a heart attack offscreen.
Cool Old Lady: Pays no mind to Jordan doing drugs, saying that she grew up in The '60s and is used to that sort of thing.
- Also may be a bit of Actor Allusion to her role in Absolutely Fabulous as Patsy Stone, who was almost a female version of Jordan.
Deadpan Snarker: Her wit is very dry and British.

Jordan's Associates

Mark Hanna

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Played By: Matthew McConaughey ^{Other Languages}Bruno Choël (European French)

"Meanwhile, he thinks he's getting shit rich, which he is, on paper. But you and me, the brokers, we're taking home cold-hard-cash via commission, motherfucker!"

A crooked stockbroker at L.F. Rothschild, who takes Jordan under his wing.

Affably Evil: Takes Jordan under his wing on the first day, fires a few putdowns at his Jerkass supervisor and invites him to lunch... where he unashamedly explains that brokers are glorified conmen and proceeds to give Jordan survival tips. He's also Nice to the Waiter, being pleasant and familiar with the waiter at the restaurant he takes Jordan to.
Benevolent Boss: Yeah the guy's a greedy hedonist, but he also treats the employees at L.F. Rothschild very well, berates Fogel every time he acts like a Jerkass to Jordan, and takes Jordan under his wing because he recognizes his talent.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Appears to be a fairly odd guy (if his chest-bumping routine is any indication), but nonetheless is a skilled broker and a wealth of advice for Jordan.
Card-Carrying Villain: Openly believes and states that the stock market is a rigged game. He only cares about giving advice that will allow him to gain his commission.
Consummate Liar: One of his 'lessons' to Jordan is that lying is extremely important to be a successful stockbroker.
The Corruptor: He entices Jordan with the high-life of being a stockbroker. He also convinces him to fully adopt a hedonistic lifestyle as well.
Evil Mentor: To Jordan.
Greater-Scope Villain: Only shows up in the film for around five minutes, yet can be pointed towards as the reason Jordan is the parasitic, narcissistic degenerate that builds his fortune off of ripping off innocents. One can even say that it's his ideology that Jordan is spreading and constantly encouraging his employees at Stratton Oakmont and associates to embrace.
Hookers and Blow: He straight-up says he indulges in this.
Large Ham: Oh man. Mark is very energetic and charismatic thanks to Matthew McConaughey's performance.
Refuge in Audacity: Openly does cocaine in a high market restaurant.
Small Role, Big Impact: Hanna only appears at the start of the movie, but he's the catalyst for Jordan's transformation into a slick, shady stockbroker. His 'lessons' about selling, drugs and sex inform Jordan's life choices for the rest of the film.
Stimulant Speedtalk: Attributes success as a stockbroker mainly to cocaine because it allows him the energy to talk non-stop for hours on end, and true to form, he can very suddenly amplify his volume and speed when properly fueled - even leading Jordan Belfort on a bizarre warmup exercise in the middle of a restaurant, scant minutes after availing himself to a tiny minispoon of coke.

Manny Riskin

Played By: Jon Favreau

Jordan's attorney.

Adaptational Name Change: He is based on Ira Sorkin.
Amoral Attorney: Advises Jordan on how to get out of legal troubles via loopholes.

Jean-Jacques Saurel

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Played By: Jean Dujardin

The Swiss banker laundering Jordan's money for him.

Adaptational Name Change: His name was changed from Jean-Jacques Handali to Jean-Jacques Saurel. This is actually the same alias used in the memoir.
Affably Evil: Polite, and clearly enjoys being civil, although he is an amoral banker.
Berserk Button: Jordan's Hates Small Talk attitude annoys Jean-Jacques immensely. In Switzerland, this is something of a major faux-pas.
Fourth-Wall Observer: In an odd moment, he appears to not only overhear Jordan's narration, but also responds to it with a narration of his own.
Jordan: (Narrating, losing patience) What I'm asking, you Swiss dick, is "Are you going to fuck me over?"
Saurel: (Also narrating, smug) I understand perfectly, you American shit.
Karma Houdini: He gets away scot free, with Brad's wife.
Morally Bankrupt Banker: Launders money for Jordan and teaches him a loophole on money smuggling.
No Honor Among Thieves: He rats Jordan out as a plea bargain after getting arrested for a money laundering scheme that Jordan had nothing to do with.
Too Dumb to Live: Jean-Jacques was the only Swiss banker dumb enough to step on American soil and get caught at a dinner with Rugrat, a Stratton-Oakmont stooge no less. This helps collapse Stratton's operation.

Chantalle Bodnick

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Played By: Katarina Čas

Brad's wife and another courier for Jordan's money.

Adaptational Name Change: She is based on Todd Garrett's wife, Carolyn.
Business Trip Adultery: She sleeps with Saurel every time she goes to Switzerland smuggling Jordan's cash.
Ms. Fanservice: Gets a scene of her having money taped on her while only wearing underwear, and then later gets a full-frontal nude scene.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Calls her own Jewish husband a "crook nose".

Jerry Fogel

Played By: Stephen Kunken

Jordan's first boss at L.F. Rothschild.

Everyone Has Standards: He may be a Jerkass and a Mean Boss to Jordan, but even he is frightened by Black Monday, which costs him his job at L.F. Rothschild.
Jerkass: He's rude to everyone at the office, including Hanna.
Mean Boss: He's a complete Jerkass to Jordan on his first day, telling him that he's "lower than pond scum" and generally treating him like a lackey.
Small Name, Big Ego: Hanna tells Jordan not to let Fogel's attitude get to him because he's "a worthless piker". Even Fogel himself admits Hanna made over three times his earnings the previous year.

Bo Dietl

Played By: Himself

A private investigator Jordan keeps on retainer.

As Himself: The only character portrayed by his real world counterpart.
Cluster F-Bomb: While almost everyone in the film swears like a sailor, Bo takes the cake as he likes to say "fuck" in almost all of his lines.
Enraged by Idiocy: Much like Max, he's easily angered by Jordan and his cronies' stupider actions.
Ignored Expert: He gives Jordan sound advice for dealing with Denham, namely ignore him and let Manny handle any calls or subpoenas that come. Jordan promptly ignores it and manages to bring even more attention to his operation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that were previously ignorant of him.
Private Detective: A more realistic version than is normally seen in fiction, as he primarily does background checks and keeps tabs on law enforcement activity.

Captain Ted Beecham

Ted Beecham

Played By: Shea Whigham

The skipper of Jordan's private yacht.

I Need a Freaking Drink: Having survived a storm and gotten rescued by the Italian Navy. Ted is shown to have gotten completely plastered on red wine.
Ignored Expert: Is it a good idea to sail through a storm? No, it isn't according to Ted. Does Jordan care? Also no.
Precision F-Strike: Having done all he could to sail through the storm he finally calls in a mayday.
Beecham: This is a fucking mayday! We require immediate assistance!

Other Characters

Patrick Denham

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Played By: Kyle Chandler

An FBI agent seeking to bring Jordan in for his crimes.

Adaptational Name Change: He is evidently analogous to Gregory Coleman, the FBI Agent tasked with bringing the real Belfort down.
Badass Boast: Denham boasts to Jordan that he's hunted down white collar criminals who unlike Jordan's pretenses of Screw the Rules, I Have Connections! were the real thing, "to the manor born", white collar crooks "whose fathers were douchebags before them just like their fathers before them" and that he's going to be a big hero at the bureau when he collects Jordan's yacht and every other possession he has. Foregone Conclusion, but he makes good on his boast. Though he does find out that...
Being Good Sucks: The scene at the end where Denham, a honest upstanding agent rides a subway with other low-income middle-class passengers shows this. Belfort goes to a fancy country club prison and infamy while honest upstanding citizens will continue to take the subway. Belfort indeed rubs it in when they meet on the yacht, pointing out that Denham initially tried to get a broker's license before joining law enforcement.
Friendly Enemy: Subverted with his interactions with Jordan. While their interactions may seem friendly and amicable on the surface, it's clear it's all thinly veiled barbs at each other.It eventually descends to straight up insulting each other in a jovial tone.
Denham: This is one of the nicest boats I've ever been on, the fucking hero I'm gonna be at the office, when the bureau seizes this fucking boat because I mean fuckity fuck fuck!
Jordan (In a cheerful tone): Alright, get the fuck off my boat. Yeah, good luck with your fucking subway rides back to you miserable fucking wives!"
Hero Antagonist: Jordan is, of course, the villain and while he may be likable it's still satisfying to see Denham bring him down.
Meaningless Villain Victory: Well, meaningless Hero Antagonist victory. Though he successfully puts Jordan behind bars, Jordan is ultimately still a well-off man^note who only does 36 months in a cushy jail and has a career of motivational speaking ahead of him. Meanwhile, Denham, for all the good he does, goes home at the end of the day in a train packed with lower-income people like him.
Passive-Aggressive Kombat: His talk with Jordan on the yacht is deliciously passive-aggressive.
Knight in Sour Armour: Denham has seen a great deal in his job, and as a result is pretty bitter and weary. He's still, nonetheless, a lawful cop devoted to fighting corruption.
What Could Have Been: In-Universe. He applied for a broker's license, but didn't get it. Given how Stratton Oakmont is presented, this may well be for the best.

Characters / The Wolf of Wall Street

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