Since Jonah Hill made his acting debut in 2006’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin, he has become a household name for his film roles and screenwriting work. The actor has starred in many blockbusters, including 21 Jump Street and Superbad and earned two Academy Award nominations for his roles in Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Now, the actor is looking to drop his last name altogether. Hill filed a petition this week in LA to officially change his name to just “Hill” and a January hearing has been set to settle the matter.
It’s not too unusual for celebrities to ditch their birth names for stage monikers or even change them completely. Awkwafina, Kanye West and Ice-T are just a few examples of this trend in show business.
In this case, Hill’s legal last name is Feldstein and his younger sister, actress Beanie (real name Elizabeth Greer), still uses the name in her career. She is best known for her roles in the films Lady Bird and Booksmart and also starred on Broadway in a revival of Funny Girl earlier this year. Her late older brother was music manager Jordan Feldstein, who worked with Maroon 5 and Robin Thicke until his death in 2017.
Whether or not Hill’s decision to drop his family name is personal or professional, it’s an interesting move for the actor. In the United States, women are often expected to change their names upon marriage but it’s not something that all women feel the need to do.
