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Your Professional Name

Let’s talk about your name. If you’re new to acting, you probably haven’t thought much about your name. Maybe you just plan to use your real name.

But this isn’t always the best idea — and here’s why.

Why change your name? #

There are some good reasons. The most important one is this:

You want people in the industry to find you and remember you easily.

If your name is very common...

Go to Google now and search for your real name.

If your name is something like John Smith or Mary Jones, you will see millions of results for different people.

That means it will be hard for people to find you. Your name might not appear on Google until page 400!

Now go to IMDb (the main film/TV industry site) and search for your name.

If your name is common, you may see other actors with the same name — like Mary Smith I, Mary Smith II, Mary Smith III, and so on.

That makes it even harder to stand out.

So if your name is common, think about changing it.

If your name is very unusual...

That can also be a problem. If your name is hard to say, spell, or remember, people might get it wrong.

Do people often spell it wrong? Say it wrong? Write weird things on your Starbucks cup?

If yes, then maybe your name is too difficult.

But sometimes a strange but simple name can be good — people will remember it!

For example: Joe Whitenose or Jennifer Stairway — names like that are hard to forget.

If your name doesn’t match how you look...

Another reason to change your name: your name doesn’t match your background.

Example: You are Greek and look Mediterranean, but your name is Kurt Schneider — people might think you’re German.

You might want to choose a name that fits your look or background better. 

The actor John Wayne was born Marion Mitchell Morrison — but that didn’t sound like a cowboy, so he changed it!

If your name is the same as a famous person...

Then yes — you should definitely change it!

If your name is Daniel Craig or Marion Cotillard, you’ll need something new.

How to choose a new name #

Think carefully. You want a name that is:

You can change your name completely — or just add a middle initial or change the spelling a little.

Example: Change Mary Smith to Marey J Smith. That version has very few results on Google and no actors on IMDb.

That makes it easier for people to find you.

Once you’ve found a name you like:

Choose a name that works for you

Only you can choose your acting name. But now is the right time to think about it.

Once you’ve decided, use this name everywhere: when you apply for acting work, on your website, your enCAST profile, your CV, and so on.

Choose well — this might be your name for life!

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