Keanu Reeves Reveals Brief Name Change in Early Days of His Career

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Keanu Reeves almost sent his identity to the matrix.

Keanu Reeves, known for his role in *The Matrix*, revealed he once considered changing his name when he started acting. However, he decided against it, playfully referencing the film by saying he couldn’t fully embrace a different path.

Keanu Reeves, now 61, started acting professionally around age 16 or 17. A film he made in Toronto led to him getting an agent in Los Angeles. When he was 20, he drove to L.A., and his manager immediately suggested he change his name.

Keanu Reeves was surprised when his manager suggested he needed a new stage name, particularly because they hadn’t thought of one yet. This led Keanu to start thinking about possible new names himself.

He recalled being on the beach when he suddenly wondered if he should change his name. Thinking about options, he considered using his middle name, Charles, perhaps as ‘Chuck,’ and even ‘Chuck Spadina’ because he’d grown up on Spadina Street. He also played with combining something with his last name, Templeton, but ultimately decided on ‘KC Reeves.’

Keanu Reeves playfully disliked the name ‘KC Reeves’ so much that he only used it for his very first movie before deciding to stop using it altogether.

He explained that he reached a point where he couldn’t continue. During auditions, when they called his name, ‘KC Reeves,’ he would deliberately ignore them. After about six months, he realized he was finished with it all, calling it a classic Hollywood experience.

Keanu Reeves, known for his role in *Constantine*, has kept his original name, but he hasn’t taken his girlfriend Alexandra Grant’s last name. The couple, who began dating in 2018, fueled marriage rumors in September, which the director playfully dismissed by sharing a sweet kissing photo on Instagram.

Alexandra, 52, shared a photo and clarified, “This is a genuine moment, not a posed engagement shot or something created with AI—just a simple kiss!”

And Keanu appreciated his girlfriend’s non-subtle approach. 

The Dogstar bassist shared with TopMob News at the New York premiere of his film, Good Fortune, that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. While he appreciated the well wishes surrounding the recent wedding, he explained that Alexandra handled the situation perfectly, thanking people while also being honest about the reality of things.

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2025-10-16 17:18