The Real Names Of 33 Huge Stars

Tom Cruise stands in a crowd wearing sunglasses in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.
(Image credit: Paramount/Skydance)

There are a lot of reasons that a young actor may change their name. Sometimes it's as simple as just wanting a cool new name. Often it's because someone is already in the union was using the actor's real name and they have to adjust. Here's a list of some of Hollywood's biggest stars and their real names. 

Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Ben Kingsley (Krishna Pandit Bhanji)

The great Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his role in the great biopic Gandhi. It makes sense he would play the Indian freedom fighter, as Kingsley himself is Indian. Born to an Indian father and an English mother, Kingsley grew up in England and while his father was a practicing Shia Muslim, Kinglsey is not and considers himself a Quaker. He changed his name for that oh-so-common reason, that he feared a foreign-sounding name would hurt his career. 

Whoopi Goldberg cursing Albert in The Color Purple.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson)

The story is both hilarious and heartfelt. She was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York, but when she started acting, she was accused of being flatulent, so Whoopi "short for whoopee cushion." Her surname came from a Jewish ancestor, Goldberg, so she could celebrate the diversity in her family line. 

Judy Garland holding her dog in Oz in The Wizard of Oz.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Judy Garland (Frances Ethel Gumm)

Judy Garland first started in show business as a singer with her sisters, going by their names, The Gumm Sisters. After they were billed as the "Glum Sisters" for a show, it was suggested they change their name. Judy Gumm took her mother's maiden name, Garland, and the rest is history. 

Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now

(Image credit: United Artists)

Martin Sheen (Ramon Gerard Estevez)

Martin Sheen's real name is Ramon Gerard Estevez, but he changed it when he broke into the business for the same reason so many others have made the decision, to be less ethnic, as early in his career they said he looked Irish. One of his sons, Charlie Sheen, chose to use the same screen name, but one of his other sons, Emilio Estevez, chose to use his given name. Sheen's daughter, Renée Estevez, an occasional cast member of The West Wing with her father, also stuck with the family name. 

Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto in Fast Five

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Vin Diesel (Mark Sinclair)

Vin Diesel took on that name after being born Mark Sinclair when he worked as a bouncer as he tried to break into show business. "Vin" comes from his adoptive surname, Vincent, and Diesel came simply because he wanted a cool name as a bouncer. 

Miley Cyrus as Ashley O in Black Mirror

(Image credit: Netflix)

Miley Cyrus (Destiny Hope Cyrus)

Though she was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, Miley Cyrus decided to go by the moniker she's best known as because that was simply what her family called her growing up. Her nickname in the family was originally "Smiley" which was eventually shortened to Miley. Her first couple of professional acting gigs, in the TV show Doc and the Tim Burton movie Big Fish, she was billed by her real name, Destiny Cyrus. 

Cary Grant in North by Northwest.

(Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Cary Grant (Archibald Alec Leach)

Early in his Vaudeville career, the great Cary Grant used his real name, Archibald Leach. When he got to Hollywood, as is so often the case, the studio didn't think the name wasn't "box office" enough, so he changed it to Cary Grant. 

Natalie Portman's Nina horrified by her endless reflections in Black Swan

(Image credit: Max)

Natalie Portman (Natalie Hershlag)

Natalie Portman's real name is Natalie Hershlag, but unlike so many others, she didn't change it because the name was "too ethnic" or not generic enough. As she explained to Vanity Fair in 2024, it was because she wanted to create a separate identity for her work and personal life. 

Portia de Rossi in Arrested Development.

(Image credit: Fox/Netflix)

Portia De Rossi (Amanda Lee Rogers)

Portia de Rossi's name change came, at least originally, because she simply wanted a more exotic-sounding name when she started acting in her teens. Her given name, Amanda Lee Rogers, was just bland. She later revealed it may have been in part because she was struggling with her sexual identity as well. After marrying Ellen Degeneres in 2008, she changed it again, this time combining her real and stage names, Portia Lee James DeGeneres. Professionally she is still Portia de Rossi though. 

Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon

(Image credit: Sony Pictures/Apple)

Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Rafael Bottom)

The Phoenix family has a fascinating history, one that includes time in the cult Children of God. When the family left that group, they made a collective decision to change their last name to one of rebirth, and Joaquin Rafael Bottom became Joaquin Phoenix.

Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained

(Image credit: Sony)

Jamie Foxx (Eric Marlon Bishop)

Born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967, Jamie Foxx took his stage name early when he was a standup. He says that he noticed women often got preferential spots during open mics, so he decided he wanted a more androgynous name, choosing Jamie. For his last name, he picked it as a tribute to his favorite comedian, Redd Foxx. 

John Wayne in The Green Berets

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

John Wayne (Marion Robert Morrison)

It was a lot more common back in the day for actors to adopt cooler-sounding stage names and that was pretty much the case for Marion Robert Morrison, who ended up John Wayne. It's easy to see why he did it, whether it was a good idea or not. It worked for him. 

An angry Tom Cruise being held back in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

(Image credit: Paramount/Skydance)

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV)

Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise didn't change much, but it was a meaningful change. His real name at birth was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, obviously named after his father, hence the suffix. Cruise had a very difficult relationship with his dad, so when he began his career, he dropped the Mapother in part to distance himself from his then-estranged father. The two later reunited when his father was on his deathbed. 

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 27: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image contains partial nudity) Olivia Wilde attends the Saint Laurent Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on February 27, 2024 in Paris, France.

(Image credit: Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage/Getty Images)

Olivia Wilde (Olivia Cockburn)

Actor and director Olivia Wilde's story about why she changed her name is pretty simple. She decided she wanted to stage name, and at the time was acting in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, which she loved. So she went with Wilde as a homage to the legendary playwright. 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 04: Meg Ryan attends the 2021 amfAR Gala Los Angeles at Pacific Design Center on November 04, 2021 in West Hollywood, California

(Image credit: Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)

Meg Ryan (Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra)

It's pretty easy to see why Meg Ryan chose to simplify her name when she started acting. Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra sure is a mouthful, so cutting a 25-letter name down to a seven-letter one makes sense. Meg is short for Margaret and Ryan is the maiden name of maternal grandmother. 

Kirk Douglas in The Final Countdown

(Image credit: United Artists)

Kirk Douglas (Issur Danielovitch)

In another example of early Hollywood stars fearing their given names would hold them back for sounding too ethnic, Kirk Douglas changed his name from Issur Danielovitch. He told People it was because he feared it would hold him back and it sounded "too Semitic." 

mahershala ali in moonlight

(Image credit: A24)

Mahershala Ali (Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore)

Like others on this list, it's easy to see why Mahershala Ali changed his name from Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore. Not only is Mahershalalhashbaz really hard to spell and pronounce, but the Green Book actor also converted to Islam as a teenager, taking Mahershala Ali as his Muslim name. 

Marilyn Monroe sits smiling as an old man holds her hand in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson)

One of the most famous name changes in Hollywood history is Norma Jeane Mortensen changing her name to Marilyn Monroe. There is no big story behind it, it simply was a snazzier name and Monroe was her mother's maiden name. 

Michael Keaton returns in the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Michael Keaton (Michael Douglas)

This one is easy to understand. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton's real name is Michael Douglas. Obviously with an actor already in the union (Romancing The Stone star Michael Douglas), Keaton had to come up with a new name for billing. He chose the last name out of respect for early Hollywood star Buster Keaton. 

Michael Caine in The Dark Knight Rises

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite)

If you think Maurice Micklewhite is a bit of a mouthful, you're not alone. English legend Michael Caine thought so too. In 2016, he legally changed his name from Micklewhite to Caine, because, according to the Batman Begins actor says it caused too much confusion at airports

Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Winona Ryder (Winona Laura Horowitz)

This one is a little in dispute - though not really. Charlie Sheen once claimed he gave Winona Horowitz her new name, Ryder, after listening to The Doors song "Riders on the Storm." Ryder says she got it when her father asked if she wanted a stage name while they were listening to Mitch Ryder. 

Demi Moore in Disclosure

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Demi Moore (Demetria Gene Guynes)

The story of Demi Moore's stage name (changed from Demetria Guynes) is both mundane and unique. Before she started appearing in acting roles, Moore married musician Freddy Moore when she was 18. So while Moore was her married name, it was a new name, just as her career was taking off. Demi is simply short for Demetria. 

Dove Cameron in Breakfast music video

(Image credit: YouTube/Dove Cameron)

Dove Cameron (Chloe Celeste Hosterman)

Dove Cameron has never explained why she chose Cameron as her stage name, but her reason for choosing Dove is bittersweet. Dove was her father's nickname for her and after he took his own life, she decided she wanted to go by that, in tribute to him

Cher in Suspect

(Image credit: Tri-Star Pictures)

Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian)

It takes a lot of gall and a lot of talent to decide you're going to go with a one-name moniker, and Cher has oodles of both. It's not hard to see what she did, she simply shortened her first name, Cherilyn, and dropped her last. 

Olivia Colman on The Crown

(Image credit: Netflix)

Olivia Colman (Sarah Caroline Colman)

Like others on this list, Olivia Colman couldn't join the actors union with her birth name, Sarah Colman, so she changed it. As she explained in 2013, Colman chose Olivia because it is one of her best friends from college's name and she loved it. 

Carmen Electra on MTV Spring Break in a blue bikini, 2000.

(Image credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images))

Carmen Electra (Tara Leigh Patrick)

There aren't many people who can claim the legendary Prince gave them their name, but Carmen Electra can. Way back at the start of her career, when she was working with the Purple One, he decided Tara wasn't good enough and named her Carmen. In 2023, Tara Leigh Patrick officially changed her legal name to Carmen Electra, because who wouldn't?

Lily James in The Iron Claw

(Image credit: A24)

Lily James (Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson)

Like others here, Lily James renamed herself in honor of her late father, James. Though Thomson was also her father's name, of course, she wanted to do more, deciding taking on the stage name "James" to do so. 

Nicolas Cage in Con Air

(Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)

Nicolas Cage (Nicolas Kim Coppola)

Nicolas Cage's first movie role was basically just a background character in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. He is billed in the credits by his legal name, Nicolas Coppola, and yeah, it's that Coppola. While on the set of Fast Times, his co-stars would endlessly quote his famous uncle's (Francis Ford Coppola) movies. He decided then and there he needed to distance himself from his famous family (Talia Shire is his aunt, and Sophia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman are cousins).

Julianne Moore in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Julianne Moore (Julie Anne Smith)

Julie Smith is a pretty common name, and when the great Julieanne Moore hit Hollywood, she soon discovered the name was already taken in the union. She tried different combinations, but they were all spoken for. In the end, she combined her first and middle names, and took her father's name, Moore, as her surname. It's like having to go through dozens of combos to find the right vanity plate, but in the end, it's hard to imagine the actor with any other name. 

Mindy Kaling on The Drew Barrymore Show.

(Image credit: The Drew Barrymore Show)

Mindy Kaling (Vera Mindy Chokalingam)

It seems Hollywood is still getting people to change their names if they or people around them fear a real name is too complicated or foreign. Indian actor and writer Mindy Kaling is a recent example when she simplified her name from Vera Mindy Chokalingam to Mindy Kaling. 

David Tennant as The Doctor

(Image credit: The BBC)

David Tennant (David John McDonald)

Former Dr. Who and Jessica Jones star David Tennant has a tried and true story as well, his real name, David McDonald, was taken. He explained some years ago on James Corden's show, where he also explained that he chose "Tennant" because he saw the name from a music magazine in an article about Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys. 

Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane Chase)

Chevy Chase comes from a very blood-blue family who can trace their roots in America back to the Mayflower. Cornelius Crane Chase, the Vacation star's real name, reflects this perfectly. The reason he goes by "Chevy" is because his grandmother started calling him that when he was a kid. So, not much of a story here, but he's real name is just so posh, that we had to include it here. 

Helen Mirren in Shazam Fury of the Gods

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Helen Mirren (Helen Lydia Mironoff)

Like others, this one is just a technicality. Helen Mirren was born Helen Lydia Mironoff in London to an English mother and a Russian father. When Mirren was 10 years old, her father anglicized the family name to "Mirren." 

Hugh Scott
Syndication Editor

Hugh Scott is the Syndication Editor for CinemaBlend. Before CinemaBlend, he was the managing editor for Suggest.com and Gossipcop.com, covering celebrity news and debunking false gossip. He has been in the publishing industry for almost two decades, covering pop culture – movies and TV shows, especially – with a keen interest and love for Gen X culture, the older influences on it, and what it has since inspired. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science but cured himself of the desire to be a politician almost immediately after graduation.