Why Doesn't Jason Sudeikis Go By His Real Name?
Sometimes you find out a fact so shocking that it puts your whole world into a tailspin, making you question if anything you ever believed was actually true. Is the sky actually blue? What's on the dark side of the moon? Is the moon even real? One of these mind-blowing moments came to pass when Jason Sudeikis casually dropped the life-altering bombshell that his name... isn't actually Jason.
The Emmy-winning "Ted Lasso" star appeared on The Today Show to discuss his partnership with Abbott Nutrition and Real Madrid in the fight to help end malnutrition in kids. Later, in a true or false segment, he also revealed that he actually goes by his middle name, astonishing viewers all over the world. Of course, it isn't unusual for actors to go by a stage name, especially if their real name is something embarrassing or unglamorous, like Gumby.
So, what is Sudeikis's actual name? Is it Gumby? And if not, why doesn't he use it?
Jason Sudeikis has a very good reason for not using his real name
We won't keep you in suspense much longer. As revealed on The Today Show, the actor we once knew as Jason Sudeikis is actually called... Daniel. Well, Daniel Jason Sudeikis to be exact. Considering that Daniel is pretty normal, and Jason doesn't exactly exude star quality, it's no surprise that his go-to moniker wasn't picked for Hollywood reasons. In fact, the truth is much more simple. Pointing out that his father is named Daniel Joseph Sudeikis, the "30 Rock" actor explained: "My mom decided to call me Jason so we knew which one she was yelling at." Makes sense!
But, before you start feeling like the world is making sense again, Sudeikis dropped another jaw-dropping fact during the true or false bit: he's related to Norm from "Cheers"! "Yeah that is one of my uncles, George Wendt, yep that's my mother's younger brother." Sounds like acting runs in the family. Sudeikis previously opened up about his uncle on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2020, saying he was "fortunate" to "come from a family of actors" and that it was a huge inspiration as a child.
Whatever bombshell hits us next, we feel like Sudeikis has more than adequately prepared us. And, to paraphrase Shakespeare: a Sudeikis by any other name would still be as sweet.