Is there a more fitting moniker for an actor renowned for car movies than ‘Vin Diesel’?
Names like ‘Jack Gas’ or ‘Steve Clutch’ just don’t carry the same weight, and it’s challenging to envision the Fast & Furious franchise without Diesel driving the action.
However, despite the seemingly cinematic ring to his name, it’s not his given name.
And before any assumptions arise, Diesel didn’t alter his name specifically to better fit the role of Dominic Toretto, though such a change would have showcased remarkable dedication.
The actor disclosed his birth name during an appearance on The Ellen Show in March 2005, just a year before the release of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Ellen wasted no time in questioning Diesel about his real name after welcoming him to the show, suggesting that ‘Vin Diesel’ couldn’t ‘possibly’ be authentic.
Diesel promptly acknowledged the truth, admitting: “You know what, it’s not.”
He then shared his real name, which has little resemblance to the one recognized worldwide.
Diesel stated: “My real name is Mark Vincent.”
He further explained that he adopted the name ‘Vin Diesel’ while working as a bouncer, when he and his colleagues used ‘fictitious names’ to avoid trouble.
“They just started calling me Vin Diesel, for some crazy reason,” he recounted.
Ellen deduced that ‘Vin’ derived from Diesel’s actual surname, yet she was puzzled about the origin of ‘Diesel’.
Diesel elaborated: “In New York, when you were kind of built up a little bit, they’d say ‘that guy’s Diesel’.”
The nickname stayed with him throughout his nine years as a bouncer and he continued using it as he transitioned to the big screen.
Although Diesel revealed this on Ellen two decades ago, some fans are just now uncovering the truth about his name.
On Reddit, one user commented: “It’s funny, even with a name as ridiculous as Vin Diesel I never even questioned whether that was his real name or not haha.”
“He actually got vin from Vehicle Identification Number,” another joked, while a third added: “I had just accepted it. Diesel is the actual last name of the guy who made the first diesel engine.”
Though the actor was born with a different name, he will likely always be Vin Diesel to the world!