She is of mostly English, German, and Irish descent. Whenever theres free time, he spends it playing Gwent, or hosting Dungeons & Dragons sessions for his mostly chaotic neutral team. Movie stars throughout the past century have often adopted new names for a ton of reasons, from evading racial bias to pure whim. 5. You may know Lady Gaga, Drake, Mila Kunis, and Rihanna by their stage names, but do you know their real names? Ben has a younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, who was born in 1975 Vin Diesel was born Mark Sinclair in Alameda County, California, along with his fraternal twin brother, Paul Vincent. Sarah Paulson reflects on Pedro Pascal friendship, helping him financially. He is best known for his role on the TV series Everwood. Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon 3. Theres no business like show business for having to leave your birth name behind. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. After With his breakthrough performance as Eames in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller Inception (2010), English actor Tom Hardy has been brought to the attention of mainstream audiences worldwide. Bella Hadid also goes by the shortened nickname version of her given birth name. And for their new names, celebrities often choose a shortened version of their real name, use their middle name or come up with something completely original. Since Tennant started working at 16, he did the 1980s teen thing and named himself after Neil Tennant, the lead singer of the Pet Shop Boys. Robertas, nicknamed the Comma Inquisitor by friends, is a Bored Panda writer and content creator. C) June-Lee Hershey. And I'm not in the USA either. Here are 30 celebrities who you may not know changed their name, and who you may never look at the same way again. Sometimes, actors change their names in order to get work, because their original name might lead to casting agents stereotyping them for only certain roles. He was raised by his astrologer/psychologist mother, Delora Sherleen (Sinclair), and adoptive father, Irving H. Vincent, an acting instructor and theatre manager, in an artists' Jude Law is an English actor. Pop Stars' Real Names: Do You Know All 200+ Musician - Billboard Current name: Stevie WonderBirth name: Stevland Hardaway Judkins, en.wikipedia.org , John Mathew Smith Report, I still remember When he was Little Stevie Wonder, Current name: Cary GrantBirth name: Archibald Alec Leach. He spent nearly three years writing about all things Wi-Fi, eventually being picked up by Bored Panda. Elizabeth Banks. In an attempt to change her life and identity, Halsey was born by rearranging letters to her first name. Model Demi Gene Guynes changed her name when she married musician Freddy Moore at the age of 18 and held onto the name after their divorce a few years later, having used it for her role on General Hospital. When Shad was five, he started his rap career using the nickname "Kid Gangsta." Current name: Iggy AzaleaBirth name: Amethyst Amelia Kelly, Current name: Sean ConneryBirth name: Thomas Connery, Current name: StingBirth name: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Current name: Cardi BBirth name: Belcalis Marlenis Almnzar, Current name: Olivia WildeBirth name: Olivia Jane Cockburn, Current name: Fred AstaireBirth name: Frederick Austerlitz, Current name: Nicolas CageBirth name: Nicolas Kim Coppola. B) Frederick Austerlitz. Muhammed Yusuf Khan (Dilip Kumar) 2. More surprisingly, Chans mom called him Pao Pao ("Cannonball") as a baby, and its slightly disappointing that it didnt became his stage name. 30 Actors Who Changed Their Names - Newsweek It turns out that Chase's Community characters father being named Cornelius was a nice inside joke. Referred to as "Jazzy" back in his early rap days, he later changed his stage name to Jay-Z to salute his mentor rapper and producer, Jaz-O. It's not uncommon for entertainment stars to change their names before they get famous. Cage changed his Carmen Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick on April 20, 1972 in Sharonville, Ohio, to Patricia Rose (Kincade), a singer, and Harry Stanley Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist. Nicki Minaj has said that a producer convinced her early in her career to change her stage surname to "Minaj" and that she's always disliked it. The theaters I was performing in were very small, so if you were gassy you had to walk away farting, and people would say I was like a Whoopee cushion.. (1968). Lists of actors - Wikipedia Famous Actors - List & Biographies of World Famous Actors 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. You may know Lady Gaga, Drake, Mila Kunis, and Rihanna by their stage names, but do you know their real names? Celebrities with the most unique/uncommon names. - IMDb ), Current name: George MichaelBirth name: Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, Current name: Sigourney WeaverBirth name: Susan Alexandra Weaver, Current name: Michael KeatonBirth name:Michael John Douglas. Ben is of Dutch Jewish (from his paternal grandfather), English, and Scottish descent. Hidden behind the mask of a fake name, celebrities' real names have been replaced by more popularized names. Actress and activist Olivia Wilde is a modern day renaissance woman, starring in many acclaimed film productions, while simultaneously giving back to the community.She was born on March 10, 1984 in New York City. Keep reading to learn the story behind some of music and Hollywood's biggest names. In 1931, Leach impressed the general manager of Paramount Pictures, B.P. 1. Famous Actors Real Name Match Quiz - By ethannunn1999 - Sporcle She, her father, and her grandfather all grew up with the nickname "Fergie" a shortened version of their last name, "Ferguson". With names like Lana Del Rey, Bruno Mars and Frank Ocean, you're destined to be a star in the entertainment business. Justina iapait, Diugas Oekauskas, Monika Paukonyt and Robertas Lisickis Celebrities - they are all around us, and with the rise of social media and streaming services, it's hard to ignore them. She married another Marine, Robert Aurthur, after she was honorably discharged, and modified that new last name to act as her stage name. 1. Future recalls many people telling him how bright his future was when he was younger, so he adopted this reminder for his stage name. His character was one of the most memorable characters ever portrayed in the series. (And yes, the fact that she shares a surname with one of her most famous characters was very much intentional.). When Olivia was in high school, her mom suggested she choose a stage name so . This role, for which she received David Jason was born in Edmonton, London, in 1940. Mila Kunis and her family moved to the United States from Ukraine at a very young age. Caryn Johnson and Eric Bishop on the other hand? Check out this list of celebrities and their real names below. Anyone else feeling old now? Sometimes I think, That would have been a cool name, but Kit Harington works," he said. Plenty of today's biggest celebritiesdon't go by their birth names, such as Lady Gaga or Natalie Portman. Celebrities Who Changed Their Names - People.com Tina Fey got her stage name by shortening her middle name, "Stamatina". The "Gossip Girl" star has never revealed the reason she goes by her middle name, but she adopted this early on in her career. Has an unpredictable taste in films, TV series and music - likes to experience all kinds. Kit Harington's real name is Christopher. With a natural gift for performance, Frederick Austerlitz became the most famous American dancer of the 20th century. You're likely familiar with the Outkast song, "B.O.B. Wanting to create a lane separate from her father, Rob Schneider, Elle King changed her name. Her grandmother, whom she was close with, always called her "Saweetie". (He relayed this version of the story when he sued his ex back in 2010.) And with the wide use of fake names in various media branches, the real names of celebrities are safe from the bigger harm that may come from the misuse of their powerful celebrity status. Current name: Snoop DoggBirth name: Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. en.wikipedia.org , youtube.com Report. Yet to this day, he has never legally changed it; he still goes by Michael Douglas in real life. Many know that Drake's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham from his acting days. Though to be fair, most of them changed their names either to avoid confusion or because they didnt like their birth names. Current name: Ben KingsleyBirth name: Krishna Pandit Bhanji, en.wikipedia.org , amazon.com Report. He picked up "Jackie" while working in construction during college, where he worked with a man named Jack who thought highly enough of Chan to call him "Little Jack." She was enrolled at Winthrop College located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. 14 Year Old Actors. Christopher Walken Ronald Walken 4. Funny Real Celebrity Names | List of Movie and TV Stars Real Names - Ranker As an ode to her late father who referred to her by the nickname "Dove", she legally changed her name after his death. Yes, she actually named herself after a whoopee cushion because she's gaseous. The show is called Awkwafina is Nora From Queens because Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Diesel was a nickname from friends who said he ran on "diesel" fuel because he had so much energy. He has a fraternal twin brother, Michael, and a sister, Tausha. The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! At first, he tried to go by Kid Mesc, but people kept mispronouncing it. The sultry singer's stage name was motivated by Frank Sinatra and a film he starred in, "Ocean's 11". Not gonna lie, Archibald Leach is a fantastic villain name. That's why it's always intriguing to find out what a celebrity's real name actually is. . Growing up internationally, Jackson spent his adolescent years living in Tananger, Norway and Midland, Texas. SAG rules you can't have the same name as another registered SAG member. Though a screen separates our personal lives from those of celebrities, we may see their faces and hear about them more than our own distant relatives. The legendary filmmaker goes by Spike, but his birth name is Shelton, which is also his mothers maiden name. Bruce Glikas/Getty. Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app. Carmen Electra signed with Prince's label in the early 90s, and the musical legend told her at the time to change her name. The showstopping Superbowl star performer still goes by Robyn with her close family and friends. While Shakespeare might have famously written Whats in thy name?, there are many who believe that names hold key to their success. Ryan's acting career began with the soap opera One Life to William Bradley "Brad" Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri to Jane Etta Pitt (ne Hillhouse), a school counselor & William Alvin "Bill" Pitt, a truck company manager. Real names of famous actors Alan Alda (Alphonso d'Abruzzo) Alan Dale (Aldo Sigismondi) Albert Brooks (Albert Lawrence Einstein) Alex Lifeson (Alexander Zivojinovich) Alla Nazimova (Mariam Edez Adelaida Leventon) Alpha Blondy (Seydou Kon) Amy Ryan (Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski) Anne Bancroft (Anna Maria Italiano) Ashley Judd (Ashley Tyler Ciminella) Quavo is another Migos member and has the closest stage name to his real name. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it's just not used that often. "Goldberg" comes from the last name of a Jewish ancestor. Well, here are 50 celebrities who did just that. Famous Actors Real Names | Mental Floss She later adopted the nickname as her stage name. Mila's mother, Elvira, and father, Mark, soon enrolled her in acting classes and allowed Mila to shorten her name when she started booking her first roles on "Days of our Lives," "7th Heaven," and playing a young Angelina Jolie in "Gia.". "Nicki" comes from a derivation of her real name, "Onika". But they soon became disenchanted with the cult and moved back to the US in 1978, where they changed their last name to "Phoenix" to symbolize "new beginning.". Put On Your Dancing Shoes - Animated Movies and TV. Before she went by Emma Stone, she tried to go by Riley Stone, but she would never respond on set. Take their names, for example. Bruno Mars admits that he was a chubby baby. Next,Ignite Your Inner Fire With These 125 Empowering Quotes From Some of the Strongest Women in History. And it's not just him who goes by another name in the family. HT: Wikipedia. Real Names of Famous Hollywood Actors - Cinemaholic She combined her mother's and father's names. 50 Celebrities Reveal Real Names - Celebrity Stage Names - ELLE By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider His former friend, Gucci Mane, added "Flame" to the end of his stage name. When Doja Cat began her career, she was a heavy marijuana smoker, and "Doja" was a strain that she liked. He had a younger brother, Stanley Caine, and an older maternal half-brother named David Burchell. When he started rapping, he dropped his first and last name. In the October 2013 issue of Elle magazine the singer said she changed her name because Stefani is "a perpetually tortured artist" that she can't be in public. But, the stage name really is representative of second chances. Whoopi's recent ancestors were from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. Her father, from As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam, and played in the woods. Lucille was her grandmother's name, and she goes by the shortened version of her middle name. And even famous actors and stars are also not unaffected by the name game. When you know that Keatons birth name is Michael Douglas, you can probably imagine why he had to pick a new moniker. The former SNL star's nickname/stage name was given to him by his grandmother, who took it from the medieval English ballad "The Ballad of Chevy Chase." Hes the one who made us believe a bouncer could become an international movie star. While working as a bouncer in a New York City nightclub, he adopted the name to appear tougher. She has been married to Jeffrey Soffer since July 2013. She was previously married to Gilles Bensimon. Other times you learn that Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch and wonder why he abandoned the raw power of that name. She was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty. by hagennelson | created - 09 Mar 2014 | updated - 10 months ago | Public. When she was a young member of a rap group, Lizzo was supposed to go by Lissa, derived from her real name. Current name: Judy GarlandBirth name: Frances Ethel Gumm, Current name: Alicia KeysBirth name: Alicia Augello Cook, How things would be different if she followed an illustrious culinary career (Uu. He gained critical acclaim in Nervous-looking lead and supporting actor of the American stage and films, with sandy colored hair, pale complexion and a somewhat nervous disposition. Celebrity look A-Likes (some of these are freakishly scary), Actors and Actresses Stage Names/Real Names. Due to Childish Gambino's double life as an actor and rapper, many know him by his first name, Donald Glover. Since actors names are their trademarks, itd be like someone named Coca-Cola wanting to join the Soda Union. The "Sweet Home Alabama" actress traded her first and middle name in for her mother's maiden name, "Reese.". We respect your privacy. Natalie Portman's stage surname is her grandmother's maiden name. When Renaissance woman Queen Latifah released The Dana Owens Album in 2004, she was being true to her roots. 1. we've rounded up 50 celebrities' real names, and for some, explained why they changed them . Current name: Billie EilishBirth name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, pirate has got to be the coolest middle name ever, Current name: Winona RyderBirth name: Winona Laura Horowitz, Or as the Simpson's Treehouse of Terror would call her if she did Stranger Things for them, Horror-witz, Current name: Nina DobrevBirth name: Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva, nationaltoday.com , amazon.com Report, Current name: Bruno MarsBirth name: Peter Gene Hernandez. A. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. Edie Adams - Elizabeth Edith Enke. Die Trying: Looney Tunes. Moving flawlessly between artistic mediums, Sheen's acting range is striking.Sheen was born Ramn Antonio Gerard Estevez in Dayton, Ohio, to Mary-Ann (Phelan), an Irish Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estvez on September 3, 1965, in New York City. What's in a Name? There's been speculation of being ties to it, but he's kept his reasoning a mystery. The "s" got dropped and she legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2009. Stage and Real Names - Celebrity Birth Names| FiftiesWeb Elijah Wood. Camila Cabello condensed her birth name into just her middle name when she began her singing career. Lists of celebrities - Wikipedia Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Insider rounded up over 50 real names of celebrities and some of the stories behind their name changes. 30 celebrities who don't go by their real first names, and why. Nicolas Cage Real name: Nicolas Kim Coppola Rag'n'Bone Man Real name: Rory Graham Bruno Mars Real name: Peter Gene Hernandez Rihanna Real name: Robyn Rihanna Fenty P!NK Real name: Alecia Beth Moore Lady Gaga Real name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta Nelly Real name: Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. Stormzy Real name: Michael Omari Calvin Harris Some of the time you learn an actors real name, and it makes perfect sense why they wanted to make the change. Influenced by Richard Burton, he decided to study at College of Music and Drama and graduated in 1957. Her mother, Melanie Sloan is from a Jewish family from the Bronx and her father, Karsten Johansson is a Danish-born architect from Copenhagen. She carried the name over into her acting career for Oceans 8, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Farewell. Jodie Foster Alicia Christian Foster 9. After being born in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1981 to an Israeli gynecologist father named Avner Hershlag andAmerican mother named Shelley Stevens(her mother's family changed their last name from "Edelstein" to "Stevens" when arriving in the US from Russia and Austria), Portman now holds dual American and Israeli citizenship. She initially toured as "Ginger and her Redheads.". Yeah, I joked above, "Joe Biden's real name was Joseph Biden.". Most of them I've never heard of anyway. Really? Pink, in the movie, "Reservoir Dogs". Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 07/01/2010. The actress was born as Diane Hall; she chose her mothers maiden name as her stage name. 40 Famous Women Who Changed Their Names - Celebrity Name Changes The celebrity name is given first, followed by the real name. But you probably aren't familiar with how they ended up with their current monikers. In my free time, I love going to art galleries, exhibitions, concerts or just hanging out in nature with my friends. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. Francis Ford Coppola is the name of Nicolas Cage's uncle. people seem to ask everywhere. Actor, director, and producer, Denzel Washington, is famous for portraying strong real-life characters like anti-apartheid activist, Steve Biko, and human rights activist, Malcolm X, in films. The real names of your favourite celebrities - Planet Radio His stage name was inspired by two members of a band, Bluesology, and the need to let go of hard experiences from his past. Pop Stars' Real Names: 53 Music Icons' REAL Identities Revealed From Madonna to Zendaya to Thelonious Monk, here are the celebs who use their real names. Her father, Vasily, and British mother, Kathleen, Anglicized the family name to Mirren in the 1950s. Jason Sudeikis shares a name with his father, and his mother has always called him "Jason" to distinguish between the two. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC PARADE is a registered trademark of Athlon Sports Communications, Inc. Reese Witherspoon Reveals What Happened to Her 'Sweet Home Alabama' Wedding Dress, Ashton Kutcher Divides the Internet With His Unique Coffee Order, Lea Michele Cracks a Joke About Learning to Read in Time for Barbra Streisand Memoir, 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Cast, Plot Details and More: Everything to Know About the Post-Apocalyptic HBO Hit, Ignite Your Inner Fire With These 125 Empowering Quotes From Some of the Strongest Women in History. Her mother, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra, was a Dutch noblewoman, while her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was born in zice, Bohemia, to English and Austrian parents.After her parents' divorce, Andie MacDowell was born Rosalie Anderson MacDowell on April 21, 1958 in Gaffney, South Carolina, to Pauline Johnston (Oswald), a music teacher, and Marion St. Pierre MacDowell, a lumber executive. Hey Pandas, What Was The Worst Book You Have Ever Read? Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born and raised in New York City. Originally known by the stage name "Baby Jesus", DaBaby changed his name several years back to avoid it being a politically-charged distraction. To avoid association with his father, he ditched the "D". She is the daughter of Cynthia (Istas), an author and video producer, and Michael Horowitz, a publisher and bookseller. The name was inspired by actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey sedan. As she is interested in different cultures and countries, dreams of being a travelling street photographer one day. She made "Cat" her surname because she just loves cats. Just like authors going by pen names, celebrities pursuing their careers under a stage name is no new stint. In 2016, after a half-century of using the stage name and being unbelievably famous, Micklewhite finally legally changed his name to avoid hiccups at airports. A$AP Rocky is part of the A$AP mob in which the acronym stands for "Always Strive And Prosper". In 1965, Dame Helen Mirren was born in Queen Charlotte's Hospital in West London. The root of it stemmed from producer and then-boyfriend Rob Fusari comparing Germanottas sound to Queens "Radio Ga Ga." Fusari takes credit for the full name, saying his phone autocorrected Radio to Lady when he texted her one day. 11 Year Old Actors. After the singer's grandfather, Bill, died, her parents decided to name her after him. In fact, celebrities often change their name because they share a similar one to someone who's already famous, their birth name is too difficult to pronounce or else it's just too ordinary and unmemorable. However, there are tons of celebrities that make less obvious altercations to their name. She grew up near Cincinnati, Ohio and got her first boost when a Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer and comedian. After contemplating how she could make "Lord" sound more feminine, she added an "e" to the end and made it her stage name. ": 40 Hilarious Before-And-After Pictures, As Shared By These Women With A Sense Of Humor (New Pics), Woman Wears Red Dress To Cousin's Wedding To Show That She Slept With The Groom First, But The Bride Outsmarts Her, Saint Petersburg Photographer Documents The Bizarre Contrasts Of Russian Life (70 New Pics), The Community Of Wikimedia Commons Has Chosen The 51 Most Beautiful Images Of 2006-2022, This TikTok Filter Allows People To See What They Would Look Like Aged, And Here Are 50 Of The Best Examples, Hey Pandas, Post A Funny Picture Of Your Pet. Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Byron Allen, Allen Media Group. She gave him the nickname "Spike" when he was a baby because he was tough. Real names of famous actors - Did you know? While everyone might know the name that the celebrity uses most often, its rare for them and their fans to use their real names. If you are a believer in astrology, you already know the importance of names. 6. Well, his parents didn't name him that. Brad Pitt One of the simplest stage name changes for one of the most famous men on the planet: It's difficult to think of Brad Pitt as anything other than Brad Pitt, but the Oscar-winning. He is of Czech (father) and Irish, German, and Czech (mother Actor | Winnie Harlow's stage name is inspired by her favorite character from childhood, Winnie the Pooh. But one might wonder, just how unique is a celebrity name and is there a chance that maybe the image we created of them will be shattered by the reality of a real name? Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. To make things a little easier, he changed his name to Charlie Sheen. Current name: PinkBirth name: Alecia Beth Moore, Current name: Lady GagaBirth name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Current name: Meryl StreepBirth name: Mary Louise Streep, Current name: Kirk DouglasBirth name: Issur Danielovitch, John Mathew Smith , John Mathew Smith Report. One of the simplest stage name changes for one of the most famous men on the planet: Its difficult to think of Brad Pitt as anything other than Brad Pitt, but the Oscar-winning star of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was born William Bradley Pitt. Leaf was the name he usedas a child actor until, at age 15, he changed it back to Joaquin. His parents immigrated from Poland, where he spent a large portion of his childhood. Vin is a shortened version of the actor's last name. They are pictured above in Los Angeles in 2015. Its appropriately mysterious that there are conflicting accounts as to how Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta came by her stage name. The singer has always been into royals and aristocracy, as well as always having an affinity for the name, "Lord". To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Her mother moved to the U.S. in 1951, from Greenock, Scotland. People nicknamed her "Bacardi" when she was younger because her sister's name is "Hennesy". She chose "Portia" from Shakespeare's play, "The Merchant of Venice", and "de Rossi" because it just sounded exotic. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details). "When I hear Robyn, I pay attention.". 75+ Famous Walters | List of Famous People Named Walter - Ranker Changed his last name so he would get acting jobs based on talent not because of who his family was. Since 2017, he has starred as Forsythe Pendleton "F.P." as well as other partner offers and accept our, "Christopher was a bit of a tradition," Harington, Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, after watching a documentary about conjoined Irish twins, changed his name while working as a bouncer at New York nightclubs, from a newspaper cartoon strip called, "The Perishers.". He dropped the first name and shortened his middle name, which he so famously goes by. The reason many actors and actresses adopt a stage name is that somebody else is already registered under that name in the Screen Actor's Guild. Lea Michele dropped her last name, "Sarfati", when beginning her acting career. Very rarely do you hear Adele's middle or last name following. She is a producer and actress, known for The Edge (1997), Batman & Robin (1997) and Sirens (1994). Maybe the people in your friend circle will be surprised by your knowledge. 7. People search company Intelius provided Insider with even more real names of celebrities to supplement our research. 16 Year Old Actors. She worked in Audrey Hepburn was born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. For four years she made commercials and finally gave her debut as an actress in the TV series Mayberry R.F.D. Celebrities Real Names: 40 Celebs With Different Real Names - ELLE 17 Year Old Actors.