Kat Dennings tells Kylie Kelce that she knew from a young age that her birth name—Katherine Victoria Litwack—just wouldn’t cut it in Hollywood, writes Angel Saunders for People.
During a recent episode of Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, the Shifting Gears star shared how, at just nine years old, she decided to change her name.
“It was a CEO situation,” she joked. “I was like, ‘This can’t be displayed on a poster.’”
Her new last name was inspired by Janine Denni, the wife of her mother’s close friend, author Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain). Impressed by its elegance, young Katherine tweaked it to Dennings.
As for her first name? She took inspiration from Christina Ricci’s character, Kat, in Casper—her favorite at the time.
Dennings’ career took off soon after, landing roles in Sex and the City and beyond. But breaking into Hollywood wasn’t easy.
In a 2025 interview with PEOPLE, she recalled how casting directors called her “fat” and “not pretty” when she was just 14. Despite the harsh criticism, she pushed forward.
“For some reason, it didn’t break my spirit,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’ll show them.’” And she certainly did.
Read more about Kat Denning’s episode of Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce in People.
