Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but some fans are only just discovering the actor’s name isn’t actually Brad Pitt at all – and they simply had no idea
04:01 ET, 18 Dec 2025
Brad Pitt turns 61 today (December 18th)(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f)
Brad Pitt fans have been left confused after finding out the actor’s real name. The Fight Club star is one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t at least heard his name before. He has numerous awards under his belt, including two Oscars, two BAFTAs, and two Golden Globes, and he’s starred in some of the biggest movies ever made.
Today (December 18) marks Pitt’s 61st birthday – but did you know that Brad Pitt isn’t actually his full name? It’s not uncommon for actors to take on stage names or slightly alter their real name to either make it sound catchier or avoid clashing with another actor who already has the same name as them. But many fans of the F1 star had no idea that Pitt was among the stars who changed their names before entering Hollywood.
The topic of Brad Pitt’s real name has come up several times on forums like Reddit over the years, with one person previously asking if his name is actually Bradley, and someone else stating they had only just learned what his full name really is.
Pitt, born William Bradley Pitt, was named after his father, William Alvin Pitt. However, he chose to go by his middle name when he started his acting career and shortened it to Brad because he felt the shorter name would be easier to pronounce and more effective for professional branding in Hollywood.
One person on Reddit stated: “TIL [today I learned] that Brad Pitt’s first name isn’t Bradley, that would be William, with Bradley being his middle name.”
According to Glamour, there is also a story that says he once introduced himself to a woman in a coffee shop in 2018 as William, and she told him he “looked like a Bradley”. He told her that was his middle name, and “smiled and winked at her”.
Recalling the incident afterwards, the woman said: “[I replied] ‘Nice to meet you, Bradley. I mean William.’ He laughed to himself, then got on his bike.”
Pitt isn’t the only big name in Hollywood to perform under a stage name, either. A list of “celebrities’ real names” circulated on Reddit a few years ago as people said they were “surprised” to see so many people with stage names.
Among the notable ones were Emma Stone, whose real first name is Emily, Jack Black, whose full name is Thomas Jacob Black, Julianne Moore, whose name is Julie Anne Smith, and Vin Diesel, who was born Mark Sinclair Vincent.
However, commenters on that post pointed out that most of the name changes have been people going by nicknames for their legal names, or switching things up so they’re known by their middle name – like Pitt.
One person said: “I always wonder if like, Vin Diesel’s friends call him Mark or Vin. Or if Snoop goes by ‘Calvin’ with his wife or whatnot.”
Another added: “I’m always blown away by this stuff. And always wonder how they come up with new stage names!”
A third wrote: “As a Julianne, I find the Julie Anne to Julianne change mesmerising. I can’t stand to be called Julie, but it seems strange for her to have squashed two names into one when the sound is basically the same.”
In the case of Brad Pitt, it’s been claimed he introduces himself as William in some social circumstances, such as the encounter with the woman in the coffee shop.
Whatever name he chooses to go by, we hope he has a great 61st birthday!
