Charli XCX Explains Why She’s Keeping Her Stage Name As She Moves Into Acting
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05: Charli xcx attends the "Wuthering Heights" UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on February 05, 2026 in London, England.Photo Credit: Gareth Cattermole
by Chris Tremblay Apr 19
5 MIN READ
Charli XCX, the British pop artist whose legal name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, has confirmed that she will keep using her long‑established stage name as she pursues an increasingly ambitious acting career. In a recent interview tied to a new British Vogue cover story, she explains that even as she steps into film roles, she does not plan to revert to “Charlotte” on screen, arguing that “Charli XCX” is the name that feels authentic to her public and creative identity.
The artist, who has built a reputation as a boundary‑pushing pop innovator and collaborator within queer club culture, describes her relationship to names and persona as “scary” at times, reflecting on how a performance identity can take on a life of its own. She notes that her stage name, first used in underground London parties and later carried into global pop charts, has become more than branding and feels central to how audiences understand her work today.
Speaking about her acting future, Charli XCX says she considered whether to appear under her given name as she began landing more substantial roles. She explains that she consulted “a couple of people” about possibly altering how she is credited, indicating that there were discussions behind the scenes about whether a different name might separate her acting work from her music career.
In the end, she says she remains “on the fence” about the question in theory, but jokes that “Charli Aitchison is not super‑popping,” suggesting that combining her nickname with her surname does not feel compelling as a public identity. When asked about using her full birth name, she responds more firmly: “Oh, I’m never gonna be Charlotte. Come on,” signaling that the name “Charlotte” no longer aligns with how she experiences her career and persona.
Her comments echo broader conversations in entertainment about autonomy, naming and the right of artists—including LGBTQ+ performers and gender‑expansive people—to define how they are addressed and credited in public life. While Charli XCX does not frame the issue in terms of gender identity in this interview, her insistence on a chosen artistic name underscores the importance many performers place on self‑determined identities in creative industries that often try to categorize them.
Charli XCX’s decision around her name comes as she is in the midst of a pronounced shift toward film, building on the momentum of her acclaimed 2024 album “Brat.” She has spoken in recent months about feeling drawn to acting and even hinting that she may step back from intensive touring to make more room for on‑screen work after the “Brat” era.
The singer‑songwriter recently took on a small role in a remake of the 1978 cult horror film “Faces of Death,” directed by Daniel Goldhaber, describing the experience as “amazing” and formative. She says she initially arrived on set feeling out of place and questioning, “What the f*** am I doing here?,” but left energized by the process and eager to learn from professional actors and directors around her.
In the new British Vogue‑linked coverage, Charli XCX recounts that the positive feeling she had after that project encouraged her to say yes to further roles, even as she acknowledges that stepping away from a secure space in music “can be scary.” She describes her acting skills as “embarrassing” for now but says she is ready to repeat scenes “1000 times if necessary,” framing herself as a newcomer who is hungry to grow rather than a music star expecting special treatment.
Charli XCX is set to appear in at least four films in the near term, all of which are expected to credit her by her stage name rather than as Charlotte Aitchison. Reports indicate that she has roles in Gregg Araki’s project “I Want Your Sex,” A24’s mockumentary “The Moment,” Pete Oh’s film “Erupcja,” and the new version of “Faces of Death,” marking an unusually packed run of screen appearances for a musician still actively releasing music.
One of those titles, “Erupcja,” a drama film, is opening in select U.S. theaters on Friday, April 17, 2026, giving audiences one of the earliest chances to see the artist in a more sustained on‑screen role. Coverage of the project notes that this marks a significant step for Charli XCX, moving from a brief part in “Faces of Death” toward more fleshed‑out characters, all while keeping the name that fans already know from her music credits.
Her acting schedule comes on top of continued involvement in pop music, where she has previously scored hits as a solo artist and as a songwriter for others, a dual career path that many LGBTQ+ and allied performers are also navigating in contemporary pop and film. For fans who discovered her through queer club spaces and collaborative projects, seeing the same name on film posters may help maintain continuity and recognition across mediums.
Charli XCX describes the shift from her established music career into acting as “scary,” emphasizing that it is intimidating to leave behind “something that you’re known for” to take a chance on a different art form. She says that even with those fears, being on set with actors and directors she admires makes her feel “so lucky,” adding that she has “a hunger to learn and understand how other people do it,” reinforcing her view of herself as a student of the craft.
In speaking about identity, she acknowledges that she has at times felt that she “killed” earlier versions of herself, using stark language to describe how an artist can outgrow past personas and public expectations. That framing resonates with ongoing discussions in pop and queer communities about reinvention and the right of artists and LGBTQ+ people to change, evolve and assert new boundaries around who they are, even when audiences still cling to older images.
Charli XCX’s stance on her name underscores that, as she sees it, the persona that has carried her through years of experimental pop releases is not something she intends to discard at the studio door when she walks onto a set. By choosing to be credited as Charli XCX in both music and film, she signals a desire for continuity and control over how she is labeled—an approach that aligns with a broader move across entertainment for artists, including many LGBTQ+ creators, to insist that the names they choose are respected wherever they work.
Why she isn’t using “Charlotte” in film credits
Speaking about her acting future, Charli XCX says she considered whether to appear under her given name as she began landing more substantial roles. She explains that she consulted “a couple of people” about possibly altering how she is credited, indicating that there were discussions behind the scenes about whether a different name might separate her acting work from her music career.
In the end, she says she remains “on the fence” about the question in theory, but jokes that “Charli Aitchison is not super‑popping,” suggesting that combining her nickname with her surname does not feel compelling as a public identity. When asked about using her full birth name, she responds more firmly: “Oh, I’m never gonna be Charlotte. Come on,” signaling that the name “Charlotte” no longer aligns with how she experiences her career and persona.
Her comments echo broader conversations in entertainment about autonomy, naming and the right of artists—including LGBTQ+ performers and gender‑expansive people—to define how they are addressed and credited in public life. While Charli XCX does not frame the issue in terms of gender identity in this interview, her insistence on a chosen artistic name underscores the importance many performers place on self‑determined identities in creative industries that often try to categorize them.
From “Brat” pop star to film sets
Charli XCX’s decision around her name comes as she is in the midst of a pronounced shift toward film, building on the momentum of her acclaimed 2024 album “Brat.” She has spoken in recent months about feeling drawn to acting and even hinting that she may step back from intensive touring to make more room for on‑screen work after the “Brat” era.
The singer‑songwriter recently took on a small role in a remake of the 1978 cult horror film “Faces of Death,” directed by Daniel Goldhaber, describing the experience as “amazing” and formative. She says she initially arrived on set feeling out of place and questioning, “What the f*** am I doing here?,” but left energized by the process and eager to learn from professional actors and directors around her.
In the new British Vogue‑linked coverage, Charli XCX recounts that the positive feeling she had after that project encouraged her to say yes to further roles, even as she acknowledges that stepping away from a secure space in music “can be scary.” She describes her acting skills as “embarrassing” for now but says she is ready to repeat scenes “1000 times if necessary,” framing herself as a newcomer who is hungry to grow rather than a music star expecting special treatment.
A busy film slate under one name
Charli XCX is set to appear in at least four films in the near term, all of which are expected to credit her by her stage name rather than as Charlotte Aitchison. Reports indicate that she has roles in Gregg Araki’s project “I Want Your Sex,” A24’s mockumentary “The Moment,” Pete Oh’s film “Erupcja,” and the new version of “Faces of Death,” marking an unusually packed run of screen appearances for a musician still actively releasing music.
One of those titles, “Erupcja,” a drama film, is opening in select U.S. theaters on Friday, April 17, 2026, giving audiences one of the earliest chances to see the artist in a more sustained on‑screen role. Coverage of the project notes that this marks a significant step for Charli XCX, moving from a brief part in “Faces of Death” toward more fleshed‑out characters, all while keeping the name that fans already know from her music credits.
Her acting schedule comes on top of continued involvement in pop music, where she has previously scored hits as a solo artist and as a songwriter for others, a dual career path that many LGBTQ+ and allied performers are also navigating in contemporary pop and film. For fans who discovered her through queer club spaces and collaborative projects, seeing the same name on film posters may help maintain continuity and recognition across mediums.
“Scary” shifts and self‑definition in the spotlight
Charli XCX describes the shift from her established music career into acting as “scary,” emphasizing that it is intimidating to leave behind “something that you’re known for” to take a chance on a different art form. She says that even with those fears, being on set with actors and directors she admires makes her feel “so lucky,” adding that she has “a hunger to learn and understand how other people do it,” reinforcing her view of herself as a student of the craft.
In speaking about identity, she acknowledges that she has at times felt that she “killed” earlier versions of herself, using stark language to describe how an artist can outgrow past personas and public expectations. That framing resonates with ongoing discussions in pop and queer communities about reinvention and the right of artists and LGBTQ+ people to change, evolve and assert new boundaries around who they are, even when audiences still cling to older images.
Charli XCX’s stance on her name underscores that, as she sees it, the persona that has carried her through years of experimental pop releases is not something she intends to discard at the studio door when she walks onto a set. By choosing to be credited as Charli XCX in both music and film, she signals a desire for continuity and control over how she is labeled—an approach that aligns with a broader move across entertainment for artists, including many LGBTQ+ creators, to insist that the names they choose are respected wherever they work.
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