Olivia Wilde: Why We Named Our Son Otis

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What’s in a name, anyway?

Olivia Wilde announced her and fiancé Jason Sudeikis‘s delightfully distinctive moniker for their baby boy — Otis Alexander — shortly after welcoming their son.

“He was named after Otis Redding,” Wilde, 30, told PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of her new film, the dramatic romance Third Person, on Tuesday.

“I’ve just always been a huge fan,” the new mom went on of the 1960s singer behind hits like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” “I was a 10-year-old kid with posters of Otis Redding on my wall.”

Although she’s still getting into the swing of motherhood with her 8-week-old, Wilde says she’s already got some newfound perspective.

“The amazing thing about becoming a mother is it snaps everything into focus and really makes you understand what’s important,” she says.

“It’s tricky! It’s tricky for every mother, and I salute working mothers everywhere. We are warriors,” she says of balancing work and motherhood, adding with a laugh that making the rounds on the red carpet is no sweat compared to parenting. “Suddenly these press lines are less stressful!”

Soon the actress won’t be the only new mom on the Third Person cast — costar Mila Kunis is expecting, too!

Wilde’s advice? “Enjoy the pregnancy, not racing ahead and relishing the moment,” she says. “I think people see pregnancy as something to get over with, but every stage of becoming a mother is really special.”

— Jeff Nelson

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