Child stars Joey, Matthew, and Andrew Lawrence surprised fans by revealing their real last name is Mignogna during a panel at 90s Con. The brothers explained that they adopted the stage name “Lawrence” in the early ’80s due to pronunciation issues with their actual surname.
“It was my middle name,” Joey said, explaining why he was named after their father and grandfather on his dad’s side. However, it became a challenge for them to use their real last name, Mignogna, which sounds similar to filet mignon.
Matthew shared that their parents chose the stage name “Lawrence” as an advantage in hiding their identities from potential paparazzi or stalkers. The brothers agreed that using two names has been a pain and even caused problems with international travel and government recognition.
The Lawrence brothers launched their podcast, “Brotherly Love Podcast,” in 2023 and discussed how they overcame the challenges of having dual identities as child stars.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/joey-lawrence-shares-real-last-name-regrets-brothers-changed-child-stars