Leonardo DiCaprio’s father George is making a late bid to follow in his famous son’s footsteps after making his acting debut in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new comedy-drama, Licorice Pizza.

The 78-year-old plays an “eccentric hippie in a waterbed store” in the 1973 set love story, which also stars newcomers, American pop rock band Haim member Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, the son of late actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Recounting how the Don’t Look Up star’s dad came to be part of his cast, Anderson told The New York Times that he had “created a picture of a guy who owned a wig shop that sold these waterbeds” and knew someone who looked exactly like him – but he couldn’t remember who.

“And like a bolt of lightning, I remember, like, ‘Leo’s dad looks exactly like this!’” Anderson said.

After managing to get in touch with George, he explained the character and an agreement was swiftly reached.

He said at the the time that George had asked whether Leo had told him that he had actually owned a waterbed company, which he told the stunned Boogie Nights director had been called “Foggy Bottom”.

Licorice Pizza was released in the US on December 25. It reached UK cinemas on January 7.