Keanu Reeves discussed how he was pressured to change his name on Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast. On the October 15 episode, the Matrix star recalled how a manager tried to convince him that a name change would be beneficial. The conversation occurred early in his acting career after a move from Canada to Los Angeles.
Keanu Reeves was asked to change his Hollywood name to Chuck Spadina
In a video chat on the podcast, Keanu recalls, “I was in Toronto, Canada, and then I got a manager who lived in Los Angeles. At 20 years old, I drove in my car to Los Angeles. Got out of my car and my manager said, ‘We want to change your name,'”
Referring to it as his “welcome to Hollywood moment,” Keanu said at that time he was young and just trying to find his way in the industry.
At first, the actor-producer ruminated over the name change. The challenge was that he would have to choose his new moniker. “My middle name is Charles, so I was like, ‘Chuck?’ And I grew up on a street called Spadina, so Chuck Spadina,” was his thinking at the time.
Keanu eventually landed on K.C. Reeves, using that name in 1986’s The Magical World of Disney television anthology series. But the new name was short lived. He explained on the podcast, “I would be in auditions and they would go, ‘K.C. Reeves?’ And I wouldn’t even answer.” Six months later, he went back to his real name.
When it comes to celebrities refusing to change their name, Keanu is not alone. Harrison Ford, Emilio Estevez, Raquel Welch, and Barbra Streisand are among the many others who contemplated doing the same.
Keanu’s most recent project is the film Good Fortune, in theaters now.
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