Names are a deeply personal part of each person's identity, and it stands to reason that names would carry emotional and professional weight for an actor.
While some stick with their given name, some actors use a stage name that's important to them, or they invent something entirely new that they hope will become a household name someday.
Olivia Wilde, for instance, well-known for her roles in House, In Time, and Don't Worry, Darling, among other projects, made her last name for professional projects "Wilde" to honor one of her favorite writers, Oscar Wilde.
Her actual last name is Cockburn, which was a brutal name to grow up with, as it was constantly mispronounced—and mocked.
While guest-starring on the Armchair Expert podcast opposite Dax Shepard, Shepard brought up her "gangster" parents, who are both on-the-ground reporters, but when he called them "The Cockburns," Wilde cut into his commentary.
Shepard had accidentally pronounced the last name "Cock-burn," but Wilde explained it's pronounced differently.
"I'll tell you something. There's no way you would know this."
"It's pronounced 'Coburn.'"
"I want you to imagine being a kid..."
Shepard jumped back in:
"Well, of course I'm curious what it's like to be a young girl with the last name spelled 'Cockburn.'"
Wilde agreed.
"It's spelled 'Cockburn.'"
Shepard was skeptical.
"And you're claiming it's 'Coburn'?"
Wilde amended:
"It's a Scottish name."
"And it's very much like 'A Boy Named Sue,' you know what I mean? It's character-building."
"But I think it was an early, important lesson in laughing at, laughing along, not in a way that was giving into the bullies, but ... I thought it was funny, too."
You can watch this segment here:
Fans were as perplexed and skeptical as Dax Shepard initially appeared to be.
Fortunately, a few people already knew about Wilde's last name, since they were familiar with Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, best known for "Wondering Where the Lions Are" and "If I Had a Rocket Launcher."
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Entertainment Weekly/Facebook
Entertainment Weekly/Facebook
Entertainment Weekly/Facebook
You can watch Wilde's full interview on the Armchair Expert podcast here:
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Wilde learned an important lesson early in her life: laugh along whenever you can and don't let the tough moments drag you down.
She even took the opportunity when starting her acting career to embrace a name that was meaningful to her without the misunderstanding, and that can be another way to honor ourselves, too.
