Names are a big deal in Hollywood, especially for celebrities that become a household name. Though a bit of quirkiness can be a good thing -- it was for Keanu Reeves, right? -- some celebrities decide to change their names to fit in better.
Emma Stone, for example, felt pressure to change her name so she would be distinguishable from other stars with similar monikers. And Hollywood pressured Leonardo DiCaprio to change his title, too; fortunately, he grew to fame without succumbing to the pressure.
But what happened with Zoe Saldana? Fans have a very specific explanation.
What Is Zoe Saldana's Real Name?
It's not a shocking change to her name, but Zoe Saldana wasn't always Zoe Saldana. She was born Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario, which is, arguably, not that different from what she goes by now.
But in her professional life, Zoë Saldaña Nazario became Zoe Saldana, which is quite a bit simpler to search up online, right? The thing is, it's a fairly minor change, so fans started to wonder why Zoe made it in the first place.
Why Did Zoe Saldana Change Her Name?
She removed the accent marks and dropped her maternal family name (Nazario) from her moniker when she became famous. But why did the black Dominican actress tweak her name just so?
The fan theory suggests that Zoe caved due to a trend in Hollywood. Essentially, they say that Zoe adjusted her name, removing the tilde that made the n into an ñ so that her name was easier to use and for "marketability." They didn't have a theory as to why she also seems to have banished the umlaut, though.
The same explanation could apply to the fact that she dropped her maternal family name; it's a distinctly "ethnic" trend to use both the paternal and maternal surnames for a child. By streamlining her name, and removing the accents from each letter, Zoe made herself "less ethnic," says this fan theory.
Okay, but why do names matter so much? Fans on Quora suggest that Zoe (or, more likely, her manager) opted for the simpler name to "lessen the change of her being type cast in ethnic roles."
The thing is, that doesn't seem to have happened as a result of slightly changing her name. After all, Zoe can't change the way she looks -- and as a gorgeous and talented black woman, she shouldn't have to.
Unfortunately, fans might be on the right track in terms of names significantly influencing careers; it's a historical trend in Hollywood. After physical appearance, names are probably one of the most important things about an up-and-coming actor. For Zoe Saldana, it does seem to have worked out reasonably well.
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