Keanu Reeves reveals surprising 6-month name change in ‘Hollywood moment’

Keanu Reeves has one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, but he recently admitted that he almost went by a different moniker at the start of his career. The 61-year-old appeared on the New Heights podcast on Wednesday and confessed that he experienced a true “Hollywood moment” when he arrived in LA from Canada after becoming a professional actor before he turned 18. “I got paid when I was like 16, so I was a professional actor around 16, 17 [years old],” he said. “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.’ So that’s like, a welcome to Hollywood [moment].” While Keanu’s manager didn’t have a specific name picked out for him, he recalled: “I remember I was walking on the beach and I was just like, ‘My name? What if I change my name?'” 

Thinking about a possible new name, Keanu said he considered using his middle name, Charles, as well as paying tribute to the street he grew up on, before he settled on combining both his first and middle names. “Then I became KC Reeves. I was credited as KC Reeves,” he revealed, noting that he thinks he was credited as ‘KC Reeves’ in his first film. 

However, Keanu’s name change didn’t last long, and he soon had a change of heart. “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. Six months later, I was like, ‘I’m not doing this.’ That’s a Hollywood moment.”

© Getty Images

Keanu’s potential name change reveal comes after he was forced to make a rare comment about his private life after speculation surfaced that he and his longtime girlfriend, Alexandra Grant, secretly married in Europe over the summer. Last month, rumors swirled that they had taken their relationship to the next level after the visual artist was spotted wearing a diamond ring on her wedding finger.

© FilmMagic

© Getty Images

The couple prefers to keep their romance private, but in a rare move, Keanu addressed the rumors surrounding his relationship status and broke his silence on whether he and Alexandra are now officially husband and wife. “It is not true,” Keanu’s publicist told E! News in a statement. “They are not married.” Soon after, Alexandra shared an intimate snapshot of her and Keanu kissing while sitting on steps during their visit to Roden Crater, an art installation by artist James Turrell, in Arizona. 

© Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Poking fun at the marriage rumors, Alexandra thanked fans for the congratulatory messages while reaffirming Keanu’s statement that they did not tie the knot. “I’m sharing it here to say thank you to everyone for the congratulations on our wedding. Except we didn’t get married. Good news is much needed these days, but it’s still fake news, so be careful out there! So, here’s a bit of real happiness!”