Keanu Reeves reveals the stage name he almost chose – and thank goodness he didn’t

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — “Speed” starring…Chuck Spadina?

Crazy? Yes. But it almost happened.

Keanu Reeves appeared on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast with brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, and the actor revealed that he almost went by the stage name “Chuck Spadina.”

The “Matrix” star, who was born in Beirut, Lebanon and grew up in Toronto, recounted moving to Los Angeles as a 20-year-old and finding a manager who wanted to change his name.

The actor, who is promoting his new film “Good Fortune,” didn’t love the idea and viewed it as “a welcome to Hollywood (moment).”

“I remember I was walking on the beach, and I was just like, ‘My name? What if I change my name? What?’” he recalled.

Reeves then tried to come up with some alternatives.

“My middle name is Charles, so I was like, ‘…Chuck?’” he said. “And I grew up on a street called Spadina, (therefore) Chuck Spadina.”

Ultimately, he became KC Reeves, which didn’t thrill him.

“And then I couldn’t do it. So then I would be in auditions, and they would go, ‘KC Reeves.’ And I wouldn’t even answer,” he said. “Six months later, I was like, ‘I’m not doing this.’ That’s a Hollywood moment.”

Jason and Travis Kelce have a good track record of getting Hollywood stars to share stories about stage names that never came to be.

Last month, Leonardo DiCaprio appeared on the podcast with his “One Battle After Another” costar Benicio del Toro and spoke about being told his name was “too ethnic” as a child actor. He was instead dubbed “Lenny Williams.”

“I was 12, 13. I said, ‘What is Lenny Williams? We took your middle name and we made it. Now you’re Lenny,’” DiCaprio said.

Thankfully, that one didn’t stick either.

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