Jonah Hill may play one of the characters motivated by money in Martin Scorsese's new comedy, The Wolf of Wall Street, but the actor is real-life is apparently far less avaricious. The film star has revealed that he wanted the part of Donnie Azoff in the movie so much that he hounded co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, threatened to commit murder if anyone else got the part and accepted a pretty paltry (well, in Hollywood terms) salary of $60,000 (£36,000).

Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Accepted A Smaller Salary For His Dream Role In 'The Wolf Of Wall Street.'

For an A-list actor who could probably comfortably demand millions for a lead role in such a prominent film, 60K is a notably low sum - minimum wage if you're a Hollywood hot-shot. The 22 Jump Street star just wanted to show Scorsese and the makers of The Wolf of Wall Street that he so badly wanted the role, he'd accept a lower-than-usual sum for a performance for which he has now been nominated for an Oscar.

Watch The 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Trailer:

Speaking to New York radio host Howard Stern, Hill explained "You don't do a movie like that for the money. You do 22 Jump Street for the money." He continued, saying that he was so keen to be cast that he tracked down DiCaprio in Mexico to make sure he wasn't forgotten and tell the Great Gatsby star that if any other actor got the part he'd "kill him," via The Independent.

Jonah Hill Wolf Of Wall St
Hill Badgered Scorsese & DiCaprio Until He Was Hard To Refuse.

Basically, Hill made it really hard for Scorsese, who is described as one of Hill's "favourite directors of all time," to say no. The 30-year-old actor said that once he'd landed the part, he devoted his time to immersing himself in the role, making phone calls in his character's fake porcelain teeth in preparation for filming.

Read our review of 'The Wolf of Wall Street.'

The three hour-long movie is best on the real-life memoir of trader Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), who was convicted of fraud crimes relating to stock market manipulation in 1998.

The Wolf Of Wall Street
Hill's Persistence Paid Off: He's Now Up For An Oscar.

As well as Hill's supporting actor nomination, the movie is also tipped at the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor for DiCaprio, Best Directing for Scorsese and Best Adapted Screenplay for screenwriter Terence Winter.