Keanu Reeves Almost Changed His Name to ‘Chuck Spadina’

by

It seems Juliet was right – a name doesn’t necessarily change something’s quality. However, a bad name *can* make something seem worse, and someone actually tried to do that to Keanu Reeves when he was starting out in Hollywood. His manager suggested he change his name, even though he’s now incredibly famous. For a short time, Reeves even thought about going by “Chuck Spadina.”

Keanu Reeves almost went by the name Chuck Spadina – seriously! He shared this amusing story on the Kelce brothers’ podcast, *New Heights* (as reported by *Variety*), recounting his early days as an actor. He said that’s the name he considered before becoming famous.

He shared a story about his instant introduction to Hollywood. It started when he drove to Los Angeles at age twenty. “As soon as I arrived,” he explained, “my manager told me they wanted to give me a new name.” He recalled being on the beach at the time, completely surprised. “I just kept thinking, ‘My name? What if I actually changed my name?'”

Keanu Reeves initially considered using a pseudonym – ‘Chuck Spadina’ – inspired by his middle name, Charles, and the street he grew up on, Spadina. He even brainstormed ‘Templeton Paige Taylor’! However, he first tried going by ‘KC Reeves,’ a name he’d used in a 1986 Disney movie. But he quickly realized it wasn’t working; he’d ignore casting directors when they called ‘KC Reeves’ in auditions. After about six months, he decided to go back to using his birth name, Keanu Reeves – the name we all know him by.

It’s a good thing roses are called roses! Their beauty and fragrance would be diminished if they had a less appealing name like Chuck Spadina or KC Reeves.

Read More

2025-10-17 16:39