Kat Dennings Discusses Her Stage Name Choice at Age Nine

Synopsis

Actress Kat Dennings revealed she chose her stage name at the young age of nine, feeling her real name wasn't suitable for her acting career. She drew inspiration from a family friend and her favorite movie character, demonstrating her foresight even as a child.

Key Takeaways

Kat Dennings chose a stage name at nine.
Her real name is Katherine Litwack.
She was inspired by a family friend's name.
Her nickname was influenced by Christina Ricci's character.
Kat faced harsh criticism during auditions.

Mumbai, March 18 (NationPress) Actress Kat Dennings realized her true name "wasn't suitable" for her acting pursuits, prompting her to select a stage name at the tender age of nine.

The 38-year-old star, who made her television debut in a 2000 episode of 'Sex in the City', was born Katherine Litwack.

During her appearance on the 'Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce' podcast, she remarked: "I made the choice when I was nine. My actual last name is Litwack. That’s all you need to know. And at nine, I thought, 'This isn’t going to work for me. This name cannot be displayed on a poster. It simply can't.' I was quite forward-thinking for my age!"

In creating her stage name, the '2 Broke Girls' star drew inspiration from Janine Denni, the spouse of her mother’s close friend, the late author of 'Black Cauldron', Lloyd Alexander.

She shared: "I visited their home weekly until I turned 15. They were like grandparents to me. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to adopt her name and modify it slightly. So, Dennings is derived from her name."

Kat also shortened her first name as a tribute to her favorite character from a movie.

She explained: "I chose Kat because Christina Ricci's character in 'Casper' was my favorite at the time. I thought, 'Alright, Kat Dennings, this works. I can definitely visualize it.'"

The 'Thor: Love and Thunder' actress previously described her birth name as "a bit ugly".

In a 2008 interview with Philadelphia magazine, she stated: "I wanted to avoid using my family name because, A, I found it a bit hideous, and B, I wanted to discern who truly knew me. I was quite the precocious child."

Recently, Kat revealed how she faced harsh criticism from casting directors who labeled her "fat" and "not pretty enough" during her childhood auditions, according to femalefirst.co.uk.

She told People magazine: "The era when I began auditioning was vastly different from today. There was a noticeable lack of inclusivity. It was incredibly tough, with an abundance of negative feedback that people didn’t hesitate to share."