Entertainment

What is Spike Jonze's Real Name?

by Anna Klassen

His movie is nominated for Best Motion Picture at this years Oscars, but his name isn't a familiar one. His birth name, that is. Director Spike Jonze real name is Adam Spiegel. Spiegel, as in, rhymes with Lord of the Rings' villain "Smeagol." But unlike actors who change their names to grab the attention of casting directors, Jonze changed his way before he became a successful director.

By the time the director entered high school, the young teenager had adopted the name Spike Jonze, and used the name when participating in skateboarding and BMX bicycling competitions, his passion at the time. His first career in Hollywood was at a skateboard magazine, a job he took as a 17-year-old straight out of high school. He soon started shooting music videos, and got his first big break when The Beastie Boys asked him to shoot their video for the popular rock song, "Sabotage." Then of course came Being John Malkovich, the existential comedy, and his first feature film gig, that made him a household name in cinema.

While Jonze himself isn't up for Best Director at the 2014 Academy Awards, his film Her could take home a Best Picture Oscar during Sunday's ceremony.