Selina Odum
9 Jul 2026
108 views
My legal name is very long and gets mispronounced constantly. Part of me wants to shorten it and part of me feels like that is erasing something.
Getting Started
Do I need a stage name?
4 replies
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Reeva Bhandari
10 Jul 2026
Only you can weigh the second part. But practically: the union will make you pick something unique anyway if your name is already taken, so you may not have as much choice as you think.
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Yvette Brossard
17 Aug 2026
Do not shorten it to make other people comfortable. Casting can learn to say a name. Add a phonetic spelling to your resume header if it helps.
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Helena Duplessis
18 Aug 2026
I flattened mine out in 2006 and I regret it. It never made a single thing easier and now it is on twenty years of credits.
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Imogen Fairbairn
20 Aug 2026
Counterpoint, I shortened mine and it was purely practical, nothing to do with heritage, and I have never thought about it again. It is allowed to just be a preference.
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