Jamie Foxx | Eric Marlon Bishop

Any fans who know Jamie Foxx are still startled to learn that he changed his name earlier in his life. The actor’s real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, and the name change was a career decision. He opted to go under a different name back in 1990. Back then, he performed at local comedy clubs. He landed his first credit in the sketch comedy TV series In Living Color shortly after taking this move, but why did he change his name in the first place?

He had a hard time getting on stage at the start of his career. He noted that few comedians were female — and that they always got a spot – at some point. The budding celebrity began using androgynous stage identities. He eventually settled on “Jamie,” a gender-neutral moniker, and “Foxx,” a nod to his favorite stand-up comic, John Elroy Sanford, or Redd Foxx.