Joey Lawrence reveals regret at changing his name

Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence rose to fame using a 'fame name' - and now say they regret it.

During a panel at '90s Con in Connecticut on Friday, the Lawrence brothers - whose real family name is Mignogna - reflected on sacrificing their family name to get ahead in Hollywood.

"Lawrence was my middle name," Joey said. "I was named after our dad, and our grandfather on our dad's side."

He decided to adopt the name as his last name in the early '80s because "it was like, no one can pronounce Mignogna. That's not a name people will say."

The Blossom star added that he probably wouldn't have to change his name if he were starting out now.

"Today, things like that are celebrated," he said. "In the '80s, it was like, 'We're going to need to water this down. There are silent Gs.' So they were like, 'Let's call him Joey Lawrence.' So that's just what they did."

Matthew suggested the trio's parents also thought that stage names would grant the brothers a degree of anonymity.

"There was an insulation factor, where, before the internet, you could hide behind that at school," the Mrs Doubtfire actor said.

"It would be very, very hard to find us. That was a great thing."

All three brothers confirmed they prefer their real name.

"It would have made it easier," Andrew said. "It's really a pain in the butt, honestly, having two names. You have to prove you're both people."