While stage names may sound iconic, actors’ real names can reveal a much more down-to-earth side of fame. Their real names are often far more ordinary than the glamorous personas they portray on screen. Since image is everything when it comes to Hollywood, a name change is often done because of a union name rule or by choice. While a name change is commonplace in the music industry, film and television audiences would be surprised to know that several of their favorite actors were born with a different name than the ones they’re famous for.
These name changes range from changing one’s last name to adopting an entirely new professional or stage name. Several of these actors’ real names are often replaced with stage names for various reasons. From making a name easier to pronounce to an improving decision to register a unique name or avoiding confusion with another registered actor’s name, here’s a look at Hollywood’s most iconic stars who, known for a different name, have surprisingly ordinary real names.
Whoopi Goldberg
Real Name: Caryn Elaine Johnson
Although famous today as a co-host and moderator of the ABC daytime talk show The View, actress Whoopi Goldberg had her breakthrough in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 period drama The Color Purple. She became a household name with the 1990 Ghost and Sister Act films of the early 1990s. However, the name she’s famous for today is far from her birth name. The actress was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in Manhattan, New York City, on November 13, 1955. Goldberg chose an entirely new name as her professional name.
The actress got her stage first name from a whoopee cushion. However, she claims that “Goldberg” is part of her family name. While the origin of the Goldberg name has been disputed, the origin of the “Whoopi” first name is as iconic and interesting as the name itself. According to the actress/talk show host, “When you’re performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me, ‘You’re like a whoopee cushion.’ And that’s where the name came from.”
Tom Cruise
Real Name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Unarguably one of the biggest action stars and most bankable actors in Hollywood today. Unlike other actors who partially or completely change their names, Tom Cruise removed his last name from his name. He also didn’t make the decision from a professional standpoint but from a personal one. Cruise was abused by his father while growing up.
Although born in Syracuse, New York, on July 3, 1962, Cruise’s parents were originally from Louisville, Kentucky. Having obtained blessings from his mother, Cruise moved to New York (having spent part of his childhood in Canada), to start his acting career. Tom Cruise chose to use his middle name, “Cruise,” as his last name to distance himself from his abusive upbringing and father.
Natalie Portman
Real Name: Natalie Hershlag
Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman was born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 9, 1981. The Israeli-American actress has starred in several iconic movies. She’s famous for her Oscar-winning performance as a troubled ballerina in Black Swan (2010), Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta (2005), and for portraying Jane Foster in the MCU. Portman’s name change was borne out of a need for privacy. Seeking to separate her professional life from her personal life, she changed her last name to her grandmother’s maiden name.
Charlie Sheen
Real Name: Carlos Irwin Estévez
Actor Charlie Sheen dominated film and television in the 1980s and 1990s. However, she’s most famous for portraying Charlie Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–2011). Interestingly, neither of his stage names is his birth name. As the youngest child of Emmy Awards winner Michael Sheen, Charlie Sheen followed in his father’s footsteps by adopting the “Sheen” last name.
It was Charlie Sheen’s father who first decided to change his last name from Estévez to Sheen, choosing the last name in honor of Fulton J. Sheen, a Catholic archbishop and theologian. Charlie Sheen opted for “Charlie” as his stage first name as it is an English variant of his birth name, Carlos. Although he has taken few roles in film and television in the past two decades, Charlie Sheen remains one of Hollywood’s iconic stars.
Julianne Moore
Real Name: Julie Anne Smith
Actress Julianne Moore changed her name due to a union rule. While trying to register with the Actors’ Equity, she discovered that both variations of her birth name, “Julie Anne Smith” and “Julie Smith,” had already been registered. Since the rule requires each actor to have a unique name for crediting purposes, the actress settled with the name she’ll ultimately be famous with.
In her words, “There was already a Julie Smith, a Julie Anne Smith, there was everything. My father’s middle name is Moore; my mother’s name is Anne. So I just slammed the Anne onto the Julie. That way, I could use both of their names and not hurt anyone’s feelings. But it’s horrible to change your name. I’d been Julie Smith my whole life, and I didn’t want to change it.”
Jamie Foxx
Real Name: Eric Marlon Bishop
Jamie Foxx is one of a few singer-comedians who successfully transitioned into Hollywood. Although his first acting credits were under the name Jamie Foxx, it is not his birth name. The actor-comedian changed his name to Jamie Foxx early in his stand-up comedy career for strategic reasons. At open mic nights, female comedians were often called up first because there were fewer of them. By choosing “Jamie,” a gender-neutral name, as his first name, it gave him the advantage of being called to perform sooner. The last name “Foxx” is a nod and tribute to legendary comedian Redd Foxx, a major influence on Jamie Foxx’s comedic style.
Nina Dobrev
Real Name: Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva
The Canadian actress was born Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva in Sofia, Bulgaria, on January 9, 1989. However, having relocated to Canada with her family when she was age 2, Nina Dobrev was raised in Scarborough, Toronto. The actress is famous for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in The CW’s The Vampire Diaries (2009–2015). Nina Dobrev chose to use a stage name for a particular reason. She believed by shortening her Bulgarian name to Nina Dobrev, it would be easier for audiences to remember and pronounce. However, despite opting for a name change, Dobrev remains deeply connected to her Bulgarian heritage.
Vin Diesel
Real Name: Mark Sinclair
The Fast & Furious action star might not look like “Mark Sinclair,” but that was definitely his birth name. His name change came about when he was working as a bouncer at a New York City nightclub. Mark Sinclair wouldn’t sell it as a bouncer’s name, so he chose “Vin” as his first name, coined from his stepfather’s last name “Vincent.” His last name, “Diesel,” was a nickname given to him by friends because of his high energy and relentless work ethic. Unsurprisingly, he decided to keep the name when he registered as an actor.
Olivia Wilde
Real Name: Olivia Jane Cockburn
Unlike most other actors, Olivia Wilde changed her name while still in high school. Born Olivia Jane Cockburn in New York City, on March 10, 1984, the actress adopted her stage surname as a tribute to the renowned Irish writer Oscar Wilde. Her decision was influenced by her family’s literary background, where the use of a pen name was a common tradition. Olivia Wilde had her breakout role as bisexual bar owner Alex Kelly in the Fox’s teen drama series The O.C. (2004–2005).
Michael Keaton
Real Name: Michael John Douglas
Micheal Keaton is often a popularly referenced example of an actor whose name change was necessitated because of union rules. He was born Michael John Douglas in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 1951. When Keaton decided to begin his acting career, he discovered he was unable to register his birth name. Famous actor Michael Douglas was an already established member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Also daytime host Mike Douglas was also registered. Unlike most other actors’ real name changes, Micheal Keaton left his last name change to chance. He reportedly flipped through a phone book and landed on “Keaton.”
Diane Keaton
Real Name: Diane Hall
A decade before Michael Keaton settled for “Keaton” as his stage last name, actress Diane Keaton was forced to do the same. However, Diane’s Keaton last name was her mother’s maiden name. The actress was born Diana Hall in Los Angeles, California, on January 5, 1946. She was forced to change her name after discovering her birth name was already registered with the Actors’ Equity Association.
Other Notable Actors With Ordinary Real Names
Judging by the sheer number of actors in Hollywood alone, the list wouldn’t be able to mention them all. Actress Meg Ryan chose to shorten her birth name to Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. She opted to use “Ryan,” her maternal grandmother’s maiden name, as her stage last name. Joaquin Phoenix had his last name changed before he became an actor. He was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom, but his family later chose to legally change their last name to “Phoenix” after their ordeal with the religious cult Children of God.
Actress Lily James was born Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson. The English actress changed her birth last name to her father’s first name after discovering the former was already registered with the union. The same is true for David Tennant (born David John McDonald), Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell), and Emma Stone (born Emily Jean Stone). English actor Kit Harington (born Christopher Catesby Harington) didn’t even know his real full name until he was eleven years old. He was nicknamed “Kit” by his family, and the name stuck with him throughout the years.
American actress Winona Ryder had a unique name that would have easily passed the rules in any union. However, when asked the name she would like to be credited with for her screen debut, the actress opted for “Ryder.” Her reason was as random and extreme as could be. Hearing a Mitch Ryder song playing in the background, which was her father’s favorite, Winona opted for the “Ryder” last name, and it has stuck ever since.
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