Photo courtesy of Angela Shelton

The odds a person’s last name is Shelton are 1 in 3,135.

When Angela Shelton set out to make a documentary in 2001, she intended to make a comedy. Her methodology? Talk to women that shared her full name and learn about their lives. Her unexpected—and astonishing—finding? Like Shelton, the majority of these women were victims of sexual abuse.

What was the original idea behind the documentary Searching for Angela Shelton?

I figured I would do a movie over the summer that helped unite women. I had no idea it was going to lead me to my own story.

Why did you only speak with women named “Angela Shelton?”

That was my way of surveying women in America. Instead of knocking on random doors, I used my name. The questions were all the same: who are you, where have you been, and where are you going. That was all I wanted to know. 40 ended up talking to me.

How did you know that anyone had your name?

I had accidentally called an Angela Shelton once. [Another time] I had gone to pick up a prescription and there was a whole list of Angela Sheltons. The pharmacist kept asking which one I was. There was another Angela Shelton who stood out during a casting audition.

Have you always been “Angela Shelton?”

I changed my name when I was young. I didn’t want my dad’s name.

What happened when you asked women about their past?

70% of them had been victims of child sexual abuse, rape, or domestic violence. That’s what I wasn’t expecting. I thought it was going to be funny. I had plans of bringing us all to Vegas with matching hats.

You were sexually abused as a child. When did you decide to make your story public?

After speaking with all the Angela Sheltons. One of the Angelas was tracking sexual predators and lived in the same town as my dad—who was a child molester—and we [the film crew] arrived [in the town] on Father’s Day. What are the odds of that! I took that and said I guess it’s time for me to really boldly go forward and open. If I’m expecting these women to reveal themselves, I’ll reveal myself, too.

Do you think that you would you have had the same experience with a different name?

Yes, especially now. I’ve been speaking about this subject for 9 years. I’ve spoken to over 30,000 survivors. I could have picked any name. I could have picked a man’s name, though the percentage would be less.

You’ve been a model, actress, writer, comedian, and filmmaker. What sets this project apart?

This whole project was a movie that turned into a movement. I was the one who was cynical about the whole thing, like, “God, I don’t want to talk about this.” And now there are all these people who have started organizations and left abusive relationships and gone back to school and changed their whole lives.

This awareness is a great thing.

Please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m a filmmaker with a big mouth and I like to bring up issues. This is the issue I brought up. This whole project has continued because of the people. If one person tells another person, it actually ends up saving another life.

Note: Searching for Angela Shelton is available to watch for free at http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/searching_for_angela_shelton/.

The follow-up book Finding Angela Shelton is available at http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Angela-Shelton/dp/0696239418.

There is also a shopping portal on Angela Shelton’s website: http://angelashelton.com/shop.

Click to read a related article, " Is Your Last Name Unique?"