Why the name change?
I can't find any info on this. What is Mickey Braddock/Dolenz's real last name?
Why the change?
Ok.... his last name is Dolenz, but why Braddock on this show?
Fasten your seatbelts.... It's going to be a bumpy night!
Sometimes actors names are changed in case something they do doesn't work out well - for instance a series might only run for a few episodes before being taken off the air. You don't want your name associated with a dud. Also, an actor probably doesn't want to be typecast, so they'll do projects under different names so they won't be immediately recognized by the people who do the casting. Sometimes a name is changed to make it more American, less Jewish, less Italian, more exotic, more pronounceable, more distinctive. Sometimes a performer wants to make sure they're recognized in their own right, and not just because they have a famous parent with the same name. Sometimes they change it to make sure they arerecognized as their famous parent who changed his/her last name.
Those are some of the reasons why actors change their name, but I don't know specifically why Micky's name was changed. Or his hair color!
I understand all of what you have said. I thought of those things myself. I guess I should have asked if anyone specificly knew the story of why Mickey's name was changed. You bring up another good question. Why was his hair bleached?
If anyone knows the story behind it I'd be interested.
Fasten your seatbelts.... It's going to be a bumpy night!
I don't have specific information about that, but I believe Jay North's hair was bleached, too. I think it was meant to symbolize innocence/goodness.
shareI have two guesses:
1. Dolenz was too ethnic. They wanted an "All American Boy" to play Corky.
2. To avoid snide remarks about nepotism. His dad, George, was also an actor.