The quirks of celebrity have been both celebrated for innovation and chastised for viciously grabbing attention, but if there is one thing the non-VIP public can claim with certainty it's that they are almost always entertaining. There's something about the distance between us common folk and those in positions of fame that gives us comfort in bearing witness to the absurd incidents these people bring upon themselves, and while many are disturbing (Eddie Murphy, I'm looking at you), there are plenty to be taken lightly and in good humor. Celebrity names, for instance, have been thrust into the spotlight on countless occasions--whether applied to the celebrities themselves or their unfortunately fortunate offspring--and the result is frequently amusing.
Prince Rogers Nelson used the stage name Prince, which became the Love Symbol, who was actually the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, who was actually Who The Fuck Cares We're All Gonna Call You Prince Anyway. Sean Combs began Puff Daddy, decided to initial the Puff and replace that pesky "a" with an "i", becoming P. Diddy, then eventually experienced some serious trauma associated with the letter "P" and decided to stick simply with Diddy. The public, as with Prince, declined to give any fucks. Diddy he became.
Now these are merely two of the many examples available in the vein of celebrity name ridiculousness, but they do relate closely with the most recent change--perhaps the most unexpected we've ever seen. Liam Neeson, star of films such as Schindler's List, Star Wars - Episode 1, and Batman Begins, has decided to legally change his first name from Liam to Epic.
"It all started with a couple kids I ran into at a bar," says Epic, two hours removed from filling out the paperwork that would change his life and identity forever. "They just kept explaining to me how absolutely legendary and epic the roles I took on were...and I couldn't refute them."
Indeed, Neeson has taken on some incredibly high-scale and reality-transcending roles in his lifetime that do beg the question: has he taken acting to an entirely new level? With parts as a benevolent Nazi who saved the lives of thousands of Jews during World War 2 in List, the trainer of legendary DC Comic superhero Batman in Begins, King Aslan of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Greek God Zeus in Clash of the Titans, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars, and one badass motherfucker in Taken. In short, Liam Neeson rarely takes on a role in which the maximum quantity of potential ass can be kicked, and very rarely takes on a role that wouldn't widely be considered "epic." Hence the change.
"I can see the name change getting me some pretty big roles," continues Epic, looking far less Godly in a t-shirt and jeans. "Many films contain the word 'epic' in their previews as a marketing technique, but I've never seen the word used as a name--or even simply to describe--an actor in the film. It's a new age for cinema."
For the public, Epic Neeson will remain a powerful force in Hollywood that will draw massive audiences to his surefire hit flicks. Most recently, and still under the name Liam, he released snowy survival film The Grey, which won the weekend box office with ease and doesn't seem to be slowing down. As his final film under his old name, it will be intriguing to see if pre-Epic Neeson can still summon up epic grosses at theaters across the world.
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