Daryl Hannah says her name gave her grief
Parents may think twice about giving their child an unusual name after hearing how badly bullied Hollywood star Daryl Hannah was because of her first name.
The Hollywood siren has told AAP she was constantly harassed and "picked on" as a child because she had a traditional boy's name and also because she looked different.
The star of Splash, Steel Magnolias and Blade Runner says she cried every night she got home from school, and the thought of what occurred still stains her childhood memories.
Hannah, who is in Australia for the launch of on-demand streaming TV service Netflix, says the torment went beyond the classroom.
Even the US government confused her gender and called her up to the armed forces.
"I got a draft notice when I as a kid, but yeah, I definitely got picked on for it (my name)," Hannah says.
"I got picked on for a lot of things, I was really, really skinny, I had white hair ... school was not a pleasant experience for me.
"I pretty much went home crying every single day.
"I wouldn't go back for a reunion, put it that way."
Maybe if Hannah had been the offspring of a celebrity couple, she may not have been harassed for having an unusual name.
Just recently actor's Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds named their baby girl James while actor Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay front man Chris Martin named their girl Apple.
Hannah says bullying has gotten worse not better since the introduction of social media.
"Even people who aren't entertaining or known get harassed and picked on and have mean things said about them online."
The 54-year-old says she could have easily changed her name when she started acting but decided not to because she didn't want to give in to the bullies.
She wanted to remain in the real world and keep the fictional side of her life for the screen.
"I liked to be who I am, which may sound kinda weird, and I like to play characters for my work.
"I don't like to be full of crap in real life, I want to be austenitic and an honest human being."
Hannah will appear in the Netflix sci-fi production Sense8, which launches in June.
