Some may think that looks are everything in Hollywood, and while that may be partly true, other factors play a role in an actor's success. Talent is vital, of course. Another important ingredient is their name.
The right name can pack a real punch, give an actor's profile unforgettable individuality, or simply make them more marketable in a fierce industry. Thus, plenty of actors who don't feel their birth name fits what they need pick stage names that are anything but ordinary.
From drastic transformations that have no obvious connection to the birth name to slight alterations made much earlier - every changed name has its unique story. Take a look below for the origins of several actors' stage names that you may not have even realized are stage names.
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- Django Unchained
- The Weinstein Company
Original Name: Eric Marlon Bishop
Why He Changed It: In his early days of struggling and trying to make a mark on the stand-up comedy scene, entertainer Eric Marlon Bishop came across an interesting trend - female comedians were often called onto stage well before their male counterparts. This sparked an idea that led him to adopt the more gender-neutral name “Jamie." He wanted something unique yet familiar as part of his last name, hence “Foxx,” expressing admiration towards legendary comedian Redd Foxx. This name helped build his comedic career and gave us one unforgettable persona.
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- Batman Begins
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Birth Name: Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr.
Why He Changed It: Michael Caine first adopted that as his stage name in 1954, but didn't legally change it right away. It was nearly 60 years later that he decided to make the name official, due to complications that arose when passing through the more intense airport security checkpoints of the 21st century. As he reported in an interview, "An airport security guard would say, ‘Hi, Michael Caine,’ and suddenly I'd give him a passport with a different name. I could stand there for an hour. So I changed my name.”
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- Fast X
- Universal Pictures
Original Name: Mark Sinclair Vincent
Why He Changed It: Mark Sinclair was living a life as action-packed off-screen with night shifts at NYC clubs as a bouncer. In an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Diesel said, “In New York, when you're a bouncer, the last thing you do is ever tell anybody your real name, because of all the problems.” He then went on to say, “The other bouncers started calling me Vin Diesel - and it stuck.”
“Vin” seems to come from his mother's married surname, “Vincent,” while his friends gave him the moniker "Diesel" due to high energy levels.
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- Wonka
- Warner Bros.
Birth Name: Sarah Caroline Colman
Why She Changed It: When Olivia Colman initially launched her acting career, she intended to keep her name. But, when she discovered that the Actors Equity Association already had someone registered as “Sarah Colman,” she knew she had to find a new moniker.
Colman wasn't bothered by being forced to change, since she rarely went by “Sarah,” but rather her nickname, “Colly.” As for her new choice, she stated in an interview with The Independent, "One of my best friends at university was called Olivia, and I always loved her name.”
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- Spartacus
- Universal International
Original Name: Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Why He Changed It: The notable Hollywood figure was born to Russian Jewish immigrants Herschel and Bryna Danielovitch, who later went by Harry and Bertha Demsky to fit in in America. He adopted the name "Kirk Douglas" to navigate through an industry rife with discrimination against his heritage during that period. He reflected on his name much later in life:
I wish I had kept it. … It's more interesting to keep your original name. But can you imagine that name on a marquee?
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- The Wizard of Oz
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Original Name: Frances Ethel Gumm
Why She Changed It: Garland was born into a family of entertainers and, along with her two older sisters, grew up on stage as part of the "Gumm Sisters." However, early in their career, it became evident that this name didn't quite capture the glitz and glamor they wanted. The historical moment occurred when comedian George Jessel suggested during one performance that those talented girls deserved something theatrical, like “Garland.” A year later, she also changed her first name, taking inspiration from Hoagy Carmichael’s famous song, "Judy".
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- North by Northwest
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Birth Name: Archibald Leach
Why He Changed It: The name change was recommended by Paramount Pictures after the classic Hollywood actor signed a contract with them in 1932. Studio executives believed that "Archie Leach" did not suit the traditional image of a leading actor, so they rebranded him as “Cary Grant.” He later adopted the stage name as his legal name in 1941.
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- West Side Story
- United Artists
Original Name: Natalie Nikolaevna Zakharenko
Why She Changed It: Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko's last name was first changed to “Gurdin” when she was a few years old, but that wasn't enough for Bill Goetz, producer of Tomorrow is Forever, a film in which Wood acted in at age six. According to biographer Suzanne Finstad, Goetz changed her name to "Natalie Wood" so it would look better outside of theaters. Her legal named remained “Natasha Gurdin,” and she continued to use the name Natasha as well as Natalie with friends and family throughout her life.
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- The Color Purple
- Warner Bros.
Birth Name: Caryn Johnson
Why She Changed It: Whoopi Goldberg's chosen name comes partly from her family's background, partly from her strong sense of humor. The award-winning performer said:
The true story is that my family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic - none of which I subscribe to, by the way, as I don't believe in man-made religions… So I took the last name from a Jewish ancestor. And I happen to be gaseous, which explains the first name, short for whoopee cushion.
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- Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
- Warner Bros.
Original Name: Anna Mae Bullock
Why She Changed It: Tina Turner adopted her now-famous name during a turbulent, abusive marriage to R&B singer Ike Turner. The name had started when she became the lead vocalist for his band, the Kings of Rhythm, which then changed into the infamous "Ike & Tina Turner Revue." When their couple ended in divorce, Anna Mae insisted on keeping that stage name - despite its painful connections - as part of their legal agreement; this was a higher priority for her than any money or property. In her eyes, "Tina Turner” represented commercial value more than anything else - in 1978, she registered a trademark on the name.
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- Descendants
- Disney Channel
Birth Name: Chloe Celeste Hosterman
Why She Changed It: Dove Cameron changed her name as an important and heartfelt tribute to her late father. She explained in a social media post:
my father always called me dove. he took his own life when i was 15. i didn't get to say goodbye, so i changed it in honor of him.
It shows that this decision was not about adopting an easily-recognizable stage name; instead, her name is rooted in something deeply personal.
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- Ghost Rider
- Sony Pictures Releasing
Original Name: Nicolas Kim Coppola
Why He Changed It: He changed his last name to "Cage" to avoid accusations of nepotism in the film industry, as he is the nephew of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. In a Wired interview, the actor shared more details:
I changed my name because I was doing a little movie called Fast Times at Ridgemont High and I was still Nicolas Coppola, and people would not stop saying things like, ‘I love the smell of Nicolas in the morning,’ because of Apocalypse Now, and Robert Duvall saying, ‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning,’ and it made it hard to work and I said, ‘I don't need this,' and changed it to Cage. It's a combination of Luke Cage from Marvel comics, who was a character I liked, also named Power Man, and John Cage, the avant-garde composer. Speaks volumes about everything I've been up to ever since.
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- The Women
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Birth Name: Lucille Fay LeSueur
Why She Changed It: Joan Crawford, like many performers, changed her name as her acting career began, but the origin of her new name is rather unique. Young Lucille LeSueur didn't pick the name herself: after she signed an initial six-month contract with the popular studio MGM, executive Louis B. Mayer launched a fan-magazine contest to find her a new, easy-to-pronounce name, resulting in “Joan Crawford.”
However, according co-workers and friends of hers, even though viewers loved the new name, Crawford was not a fan of it herself.
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- Niagara
- 20th Century Fox
Original Name: Norma Jeane Dougherty
Why She Changed It: The blonde bombshell who symbolizes the golden era of Hollywood started off as a shy, introverted Norma Jeane Mortenson. After her first marriage to James Dougherty, studio executives thought it would be too easy to mispronounce her new last name, so they set out to find something that would stand out better on marquees. Ben Lyon, a 20th Century Fox executive, took the initiative suggesting “Marilyn," after actress Marilyn Miller; “Monroe” came from her mother's side of the family.
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- Hatari!
- Paramount Pictures
Birth Name: Marion Robert Morrison
Why He Changed It: John Wayne didn't like his birth name, finding it a social challenge, as “Marion” was also used as a girl's name. The nickname “Duke,” given to him during childhood, lasted for many years. When his acting career launched, though, the name “Duke Morrison” presented issues because it "sounds like a stuntman," according to biographer Scott Eyman. Fox Studios head Winfield Sheehan suggested the name “John Wayne,” taken from Revolutionary War general "Mad Anthony" Wayne.
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- Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle
- 20th Century Fox
Birth Name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Why He Changed It: Elton John wanted to dissociate himself from a birth name that he considered ordinary and nondescript. He adopted the stage name Elton, inspired by saxophonist Elton Dean from the Bluesology band, of which he was once a part. The surname “John” came as an homage to another member of Bluesology, lead singer Long John Baldry. John also wanted a new identity because of complicated relations with his family.
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