Beyond the Gates actor David Lami Friebe is entering a new chapter — and it starts with his name.
From now on, he’s going by Lami.
Lami took to Instagram to make the announcement in a post, explaining why he’s making the change. He told his followers, “I’m changing my name — Goodbye David Lami Friebe. Now it’s Lami. Singular. The return to my roots.”
He shared the personal meaning behind the name, saying, “Lami is my birth name, given to me by my parents. It’s Liberian, named after a relative my father looked up to.”
Why the Name Change
Looking back, Lami explained that he stopped using his birth name around age five. “I was Lami until about five years old when I woke up from a dream and asked my parents to call me David. They said ‘aight bet’ (don’t quote me on that) and from that point David was my nickname.”
The story didn’t stop there. Lami admitted that during his school years, he struggled to fit in. “After we moved to California, throughout school I had a tough time fitting in, and the name ‘Lami’ always stuck out like a pimple. I’d always rush over to ask a new teacher to change the name sheet before roll call, so that they didn’t call my legal name ‘Lami’ out loud. I thought it was embarrassing to be different. So it was David for awhile.”
Those insecurities stayed with him through high school, until he began to find his voice. In his senior year, he released his first EP, a turning point in embracing his authentic identity. “With that release I turned those pockets inside out. I chose myself, and embraced my authentic identity. I released under the stage name LAMI. But I was still David to those around me. Until I met Nia. She was the first person to ignore David and call me Lami until I started introducing myself as such.”
Lami for Music
For those who don’t know, Nia is his real-life wife. Lami credited her for encouraging him to pursue acting, write scripts, and shoot films. He explained, “I gained a new level of confidence and skills, but I kept the name ‘David Lami Friebe’ for all things film-related to separate that side of myself from my music, still under ‘LAMI’.”
That dual identity lasted until now. Lami reflected on the lessons of the industry: “This industry has a way of shaking up your world, throwing unexpected curveballs and fcking up your plans, and I’ve learned that the best thing you can do to manage the volatility is to stay true to yourself, trust yourself, trust your work, and lean on your loved ones. Who I am is the same when I’m singing or acting, holding drumsticks or operating a camera. My art and expression comes from the same place. So there’s no need for two different stage names. There’s no need for six syllables. We can keep it blunt. Straight to the point. Lami.”
Currently, Lami recurs in the role of Izaiah Hawthorne on Beyond the Gates. He’s also known for his roles as Trey on Sistas, All American, and Bloody Famous.
Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
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