Creed Bratton reveals one personal information he had to change before 'The Office' career

The Office actor Creed Bratton has revealed that his real name was rejected before he went famous with his stage name.

The actor attended the AT&T’s Small Business Appreciation event on Wednesday, during which the actor shared that his real name is Chuck Ertmoed and explained how he adopted “Creed Bratton” while travelling through Greece many years ago.

“I came up with that name in, oh, gosh, Greece,” the 83-year-old told People, before elaborating that he was on the Greek islands after working on a film project in Israel and travelling with a director he had been romantically involved with at the time. 

During the trip, he met a couple at a café who were preparing to move to Crete to teach English. While talking over drinks, Bratton told them he planned to leave college behind and pursue a career in music and acting instead.

“I told them that I was going to become a rock star, an actor, and I was going to drop out of college,” he revealed. “And they said, you can't be Chuck Ertmoed—which is my real name, Ertmoed. And so we made the name up on the moment.”

Bratton said the name stayed with him instantly, and by the next morning, he had fully embraced the new identity.  “I was Creed Bratton,” he said.

Long before The Office, Bratton first became known for The Grass Roots, the band behind several hit songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Years later, he joined The Office, where he played an exaggerated and fictionalised version of himself.

Reflecting on his unusual career path, Bratton admitted he never expected to find success in two completely different entertainment eras.

“I get to be in this hit band in the '60s, and they think it's over,” he admitted. “And then The Office comes along. That's crazy.”