The name of a Hollywood star is enough to make headlines in the news and waves of excitement and happiness amongst their fans through the recognition and reputation they build in the industry with their work. And it is even more apparent with major icons like Keanu Reeves, who have substantiated themselves at the pinnacle of the film business.

Keanu Reeves
Taking on and perfecting some of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema, the star has made sure he is always remembered as one of the most prolific stars the industry has ever seen. But that name that is so popular today may not have been such a thing of reverence if Reeves had decided to give in and let his name be changed forever.

Keanu Reeves Was Asked To Change His Name In Hollywood

Keanu Reeves as Neo in a still from The Matrix Trilogy
Whether it be hardcore real-life action or sci-fi high-stakes spectacle and everything in between, there is no denying that Canadian actor Keanu Reeves has done everything and excelled at it with flying colors, something that made his name a household indicator for a good time at the cinemas. But there was a time when the star wasn’t the icon that we know today, and during those days, many believed that his name would be one of the biggest hurdles to his success as a prolific Hollywood star.

In a fairly recent interview, The Matrix star was talking about his career up until now with the hosts of the show, when he also told them about how his first experience coming to Hollywood was. He recalled the first thing his agents told him was the fact that his name was too ethnic to fit a proper film star, which was why he was asked to come up with a different name that would be easy on the lips and would possess the ability to stick with the public. He said:

“I got my first car when I was 20, and I drove to Hollywood. Of course, when I got here, they wanted to change my name. Yeah, they were like, ‘Keanu, it’s too ethnic,’ I remember I had driven across the country and I remember they told me… I was driving up and down along the beach in Santa Monica going, ‘What the f***?’”
Although he was hesitant at first, he slowly gave in to complying with their demands and came up with a lot of names, until K.C Reeves was selected. But later, that too became a problem.

Why Did Keanu Reeves Take His Original Name Back?

Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in a still from My Own Private Idaho
As stated earlier, the problem that came with his new name was his inability to recognize that he was the one being called out when anyone inquired about K.C. In the podcast, he said that this would happen a lot when he was out for auditions, and when someone called out K.C. he wouldn’t even look up, since he couldn’t remember he had changed his name. Therefore, to take pride in the name that was given to him by his parents and stop this confusion once and for all, he changed his name back, and the rest is history.

Source: SmartLess