Superbad, one of 2007’s biggest hits, introduced more than the infamous McLovin fake ID.Jonah Hill, one of the film’s leading nerds, introduced audiences worldwide to his comedic abilities. Hill went on to do other comedy projects like21 Jump Street,andThis is the End,but one of Hill’s most influential roles to date was in one of Martin Scorsese’s best films,The Wolf of Wall Street.His work impressed Scorsese enough that he cast Hill in another movie: the actor willstar as Jerry Garciain the upcoming Grateful Dead biopic.
In an interview withThe Wrap, Hill said, “To get to work for Martin Scorsese in any way, let alone play this kind of character in this kind of film, was and is the ultimate goal for me as an actor.” Donnie Azoff, the character based on Jordan’s real-life partner Danny Porush, is a drug-abusing smart mouth, who essentially sits as Jordan Belfort’s right-hand man. Hill’s performance was so candid that he deserves a closer look to highlight his best moments fromThe Wolf of Wall Street. Here are Jonah Hill’s best moments from the hit film from 2013 film.
Updated August 01, 2025: If you lovedThe Wolf of Wall Street,you’ll be happy to know we’ve updated this list with more entries regarding Jonah Hill’s character.
10The Mysterious Non-Alcoholic Beer
By this point inThe Wolf of Wall Street, the walls are crumbling around Jordan. He’s been arrested, his assets were seized, and he’s wearing an ankle monitor. And what’s worse (to him at least) is that he’s going through it completely sober. He offers Donnie a non-alcoholic beer when he visits, but Donnie can’t seem to grasp what that even is. Hill delivers multiple funny lines, like “You drink a lot and it’ll get you fcked up?” and “You wanna go inside and blow some lines of fcking baking powder?” The witty dialogue mixed with Hill’s wonderful inflection are what makes this scene stand out. It may not be his best, but it’s definitely memorable.
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9Party Foul
Jordan, Donnie, and the rest of the brain trust are attending a party at Jordan’s lavish mansion when in walks The Duchess of Bay Ridge herself, Naomi Lapaglia. Despite being high on Quaaludes, Jordan tries to woo her. However, Donnie isn’t far behind, and he’s even more doped out than Jordan. Naomi had the entire room ogling her from the moment she walked into the room, but Donnie took it a step further by full-on masturbating in front of everyone, including his wife. Although alarming to some, this scene fromThe Wolf of Wall Streetis now iconic as it fully displays Donnie’s depravity in this world of money and drugs that he entered. This scene goes to show that Donnie may not be the worst of his cohorts, but he is the wildest.
8Donnie and Jordan’s Dad
While discussing more illicit dalliances, Jordan and the gang quickly have to compose themselves when Jordan’s irate father Max enters the scene to discuss their expenditures. He tells his friends to keep things professional, but they can’t help but crack up as Max reads down the list of their spending. He becomes further enraged when Donnie fails to keep things serious and begins cracking wise, as he is wont to do. It’s a hilarious scene that shows that Hill can bounce off of anyone to make comedic gold. His Banter with Max in this scene is yet another underrated moment inThe Wolf of Wall Street, but it’s soon dispelled when Jordan ushers his friends from the room to escape Max’s wrath. What this scene does well is highlight Jordan and Donnie’s careless addiction to excess. Donnie made lighthearted humor on the matter, but Max reminded Jordan afterward that his chickens would likely come to roost before long.
7Wire Tapped Lunch
Donnie couldn’t be happier to see his best friend return to Stratton Oakmont at long last. The FBI’s investigation into Jordan had seen his life unravel in almost every way possible, but by all appearances, Jordan had stuck it to them and returned to the kingdom he had built. However, the moment Jordan slipped Donnie a post-it note, warning him of the wire he was wearing, the silence that fell between them became loud enough to shatter glass. The shift from joy to utter heartbreak on Hill’s face says everything and is a testament to Hill’s acting prowess inThe Wolf of Wall Street. Donnie had thought that it would be him and Jordan against the world, but the betrayal was more than he could handle, even if Jordan was trying to save him.
First impressions are everything inThe Wolf of Wall Street, and Hill makes sure his character Donnie makes a good one. In the first meeting scene between Donnie Azoff and Jordan Belfort (played excellently by Leonardo DiCaprio), Donnie asks Jordan if the Jaguar parked in the diner parking lot is his. After Jordan confirms, Donnie is quick to ask how much he makes. Slyly, Jordan shares a peek at his $70,000 pay stub with him, and we cut to Donnie on the phone. Hilariously, he states, “I quit,” before a narration from Belfort begins. This moment is the perfect insight into the kind of man Donnie is and what kind of risks he is willing to take.
5Cousin Love
Shortly after his introduction, there is a line that Hill and Jonah Hill alone would be able to deliver and make hilarious. It’s revealed that Donnie Azoff is married to his cousin. Not a distant cousin. Not a cousin twice removed. His actual first cousin. Hill doesn’t stutter with his delivery either. When questioned, Donnie responds, “Her father is the brother of my mom.” The comedic timing and lack of dialogue from DiCaprio make the scene even so much better. Scorsese is infamous for pulling perfect line deliveries out of his actors, especially in raunchy biopics likeThe Wolf of Wall Street.
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4The Battle of Jonah and Jon
One of the best additions toThe Wolf of Wall Street’scast was Jon Bernthal as the mustachioed Brad Bodnik. Famously known for hisroles as The Punisherand Shane onThe Walking Dead,Bernthal brings the same rough-around-the-edge attitude he’s known for to combat the quick-mouthed Hill. Following the altercation by the pool, the two meet to make an exchange. Donnie shows up and pretends to be under the influence, immediately setting off Bodnik’s temper. Hill goes from practically crawling on the ground to standing upright, throwing his hands and words around. Small directions of body language add to this key scene in the film that not only showcases Hill’s acting talents but helps allude to Donnie’s overall carelessness as a character.
3Donnie Gets Sucker Punched
Transferring illegally earned money across the world can be a tricky affair and a stressful one at that. Brad Bodnik is the man tasked with this job, but the high quantities of cash prove hard to handle. If that’s not bad enough, he has to deal with Jordan’s disrespectful partner. Donnie has no qualms about being smug toward Brad and shows no concerns about the risks he’s taking. His attitude quickly gets on Brad’s last nerve. What follows is the first and shortest of two altercations between the two. This one sees Donnie attempt to fight, only to get quickly knocked out cold. It’s not exactly funny, but this scene is highlighted here for Hill’s commitment. To get the scene to be as good as it could be, Jonah legitimately took apunch from actor Jon Bernthal. If that’s not dedication, nothing is.
2The Lemmons Aren’t Duds
After taking multiple doses of expired Quaaludes, Jordan and Donnie are dead set that they are duds…until they finally kick in. Jordan is told in an earlier scene that he can’t talk on the phone because there is a wire on it, and the police are listening to him. Under the extreme influence of the pills, Donnie answers the ringing phone, much to Jordan’s horror. The two get into a vicious fight where Jordan wraps the phone cord around Donnie’s throat. Moments before the brawl, Donnie screams at the borderline paralyzed Jordan that he is “on the phone” and won’t give it up. Not only is Hill able to make this scene relatively comedic given the circumstances, but he’s able to bounce off the non-understandable dialogue between the two characters.
1The Goldfish Scene
During a quick break on one of the busiest days in a stock market office, Donnie notices a new employee cleaning out his goldfish bowl. Angered, he walks over to the employee and makes an example out of him. Ripping the bowl out of his hands, Donnie grabs the goldfish, stands on a desk, and swallows it live. If you think that sounds wild, you should know that Hill wanted to actually swallow the goldfish! The actor wanted to give the performance his absolute all and was willing to eat the goldfish to make the scene authentic. However, due to regulations, he was unable to do so. What he was allowed to do, however, was put the goldfish in his mouth for three seconds at a time until the scene was perfected, thus making this scene Hill’s best inThe Wolf of Wall Street. The actor later admitted to feeling bad over the way he treated the actor playing the fish’s owner that he later took him out for lunch. This goes to show that sometimes, great performances can fool even the actors playing the characters.
