Keanu Reeves Was Told to Change His Name Early in Career

Before he became a household name, Keanu Reeves was going by different names entirely.

The Good Fortune star, 61, revealed on an episode of the New Heights podcast on Wednesday, Oct. 15 that his introduction to Hollywood involved multiple proposals to change how he’d be credited on screen.

“I was in Toronto, Canada, and then I got a manager who lived in Los Angeles,” Reeves recalled to Jason and Travis Kelce via video chat. “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.’”

That “welcome to Hollywood moment,” as the actor-producer called it, resulted in plenty of soul searching at that young age. “I remember I was on the beach, walking on the beach just like, ‘My name? What if I change my name?'” he said, gesticulating.

“Did they have a name in their back pocket?” asked Travis, 36. “No,” said Reeves, recalling how he had to come up with his own new moniker. “My middle name is Charles, so I was like, ‘Chuck?’ And I grew up on a street called Spadina, so Chuck Spadina.”

After a few more options tested out, he “became K. C. Reeves,” continued the Matrix star, who ended up credited with that name in a 1986 installment of The Magical World of Disney TV anthology series.

“And then I couldn’t do it,” remembered Reeves. “I would be in auditions and they would go, ‘K. C. Reeves?’ And I wouldn’t even answer.” Leaning into the camera as the Kelce brothers laughed, he said he told his management team six months later, “I’m not doing this.”

Reeves’ Hollywood breakout arrived in 1988 when he was cast in Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer. The following year, he costarred in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure with Alex Winter, making him a leading man.

The actor’s refusal to change his name puts him in good company: Barbra Streisand, Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro have all told similar stories of resisting such pressures.

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Reeves plays the angelic Gabriel in Good Fortunefrom writer-director-star Aziz Ansari, in theaters now. Among the Canadian star’s upcoming projects is Outcomefrom writer-director Jonah Hill.