50 Celebrities’ Real Names
Celebrities change their names for many different reasons. Sometimes it’s a SAG issue, sometimes it’s to avoid accusations of nepotism, and other times, well, it’s pretty obvious. Take a look and see what I mean.
At 50, this list is no where near complete. Check back often for periodic lists of celebrities real names.
- Allen Stewart Konigsberg changed his real name to Woody Allen.
- Fred Astaire’s real name is Frederick Austerlitz
- Jane Alexander’s real name is Jane Quigley.
- Jennifer Aniston was christened Jennifer Annasstakis
- Julie Andrews was originally Julie Wells
- Eric Bana’s name is really Eric Banadinovi
- Antonio Banderes’ real name is José Antonio Dominguez Bandera - That’s a hell of mouthful.
- Jack Black is really Thomas Black, Jr.
- David Jones changed his name to David Bowie.
- Heh. Marlon Brando’s real name was Marlon Junior Brandeau. Excuse me but who uses Junior as a middle name? Smart move changing that.
- Mel Brooks was born Mel Kaminsky.
- George Burns changed his name from Nathan Birnbaum.
- Nicolas Cage was born Nicolas Coppola - He changed his name so no one would equate his name with his famous uncle’s.
- Lucille La Sueur later changed her name to Joan Crawford.
- Tom Cruise is the stage name for Tom Mapother.
- HIs real name was Jacob Cohen but you knew him as Rodney Dangerfield.
- Geena Davis was born Virginia Elizabeth Davis.
- Do you recognize the name Doris von Kappelhoff? No? How about Doris Day?
- Danny DeVito is really Daniel Michaeli.
- Sally Fields was born Sally Mahoney.
- Fortunately Frances Gumm changed her name to Judy Garland.
- Even though Whoopie Goldberg’s name is just so believable, her real name is Caryn Johnson.
- Charlton Heston’s real name is Charles Carter.
- It’s no secret Hulk Hogan’s real name is Terry Jene Bollea.
- Rock Hudson’s real name was Roy Sherer, Jr.
- Believe it or not, Boris Karloff’s real name is William Henry Pratt.
- Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall.
- Ben Kingsley’s real name is Krishna Banji. No really.
- Michael Landon was born Eugene Orowitz.
- You may know him as Larry the Cable Guy but his real name is Daniel Lawrence Whitney.
- Shirley MacLaine’s real name is Shirley Beatty - she’s Warren’s big sister.
- Try and pronounce this one: Walter Matthau’s real name is Walter Matuschanskayasky.
- Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Baker.
- If I was born Demetria Gene Guynes I’d change my name - so did Demi Moore.
- Chuck Norris is really Carlos Ray.
- Lou Upchurch changed his name to Lou Diamond Phillips. What the hell is up with the “Diamond?”
- Brad Pitt’s not too far off from his real name, William Bradley Pitt.
- Tony Randall was born Leonard Rosenberg.
- Meg Ryan is really Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra.
- Wynona Ryder was born Wynona Horowitz.
- Jane Seymour’s real name is Joyce Frankenberg.
- Charlie Sheen is really Carlos Irwin Esteves. Irwin?
- Christian Slater was born Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins.
- You probably already know Tina Turner’s real name is Anna Mae Bullock.
- One can see why Jean-Claude Van Damme shortened his name from Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg.
- Christopher Walken is really Ronald Walken.
- We don’t know why Susan Alexandra Weaver changed her name to Sigourney.
- Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman.
- Reese Witherspoon is shortened from Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
- Bruce Willis is really Walter Willison.
Image:PR Photos
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41 comments
A couple of surprises in here. Very good list!
You should boldface ‘David Bowie’, and not his real name, as you’ve boldfaced all the celebrity names. Of course, he had to change it to avoid being mistaken for the Monkee.
Don’t forget Michael Keaton … his real name is Michael Douglas.
In response to Sigourney Weaver: “In 1963, she changed her name to ‘Sigourney’, after the character ‘Sigourney Howard’ in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ (her own birth name, Susan, was in honor of her mother’s best friend, explorer Susan Pretzlik).”
Also, do you know who Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko was?
Natalie Wood.
(both found at imdb.com)
I think that Michael Keaton (real name Michael John Douglas) and Albert Brooks (Albert Lawrence Einstein) are also interesting examples.
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Chuck Norris’ name is actually Carlos Ray Norris. Not much of a stretch to change Carlos to Chuck.
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Eric Bana (Hulk)
His real name is not Eric Banadinovi but Eric Banadinovic with acute on last letter (?) (pronounced like “soft” ch). So he might be called Eric Banadinovich.
It’s quite obvious why he shortened it to Bana.
those acute last letters (?) are specific to eastern european nations, we could put question mark beside X or Y for instance coz those letters dont exist in our languages. for us its normal to have surname ending with “i?” and its not quite obvius why he shortened it to Bana, unless you are American and ignorant to other parts of the world.
Kirk Douglas = Issur Danielovich
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In 9, 10, 11 and 12, stage names are not boldfaced, as in the others. Hey, and Walter Matthau is difficult to pronounce even in his stage name.
I didn’t know that Charlie Sheen has Spanish roots.
Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estévez) son of Martin Sheen (Ramón Gerardo Estévez)
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Hi, the surname Banderas and no Banderes
The Sheen family
Martin Sheen — Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez
Children:
Charlie Sheen — Carlos Irwin Estévez, Emilio Estevez, Ramón Estévez, Renée Estevez.
(Note the final ‘Z’)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Sheen
Chuck it’s going for you now!!!
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Two little mistakes in Spanish names:
Antonio Banderas not Banderes’
Carlos Irwin Estevez (brother= Emilio Estevez) not Esteves
Rita Hayworth = Margarita Carmen Cansino
Interesting. I think it´s normal in some names that sounds strange.
The reason why Antonio Banderas changed his name is because Jose (his first name) and Dominguez (his first last name , in spain it’s common to use both parents last name) are very common names in Spain, and, therefor, not the best way to be recognized fron the majority.
Jean Renno real name is Juan Moreno :/
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Antonio Banderas didn’t change it’s name. It’s just than in Spain people has two surnames and, sometimes, a compound name (like Antonio Banderas), but it’s unusual to refer to a person by all it’s surnames and names, just like I would be usually called “Juanjo Alvarez” instead of my real full name “Juan Jose Alvarez Martinez”
Bob Dylan = Robert Zimmerman. He used Dylan after Dylan Thomas
Rita Hayworth = Margarita Carmen Cansino !!
It’s Banderas, not Banderes, FYI
Antonio Banderas’ real name is José Antonio Dominguez Bandera - That’s a hell of mouthful.
Here in Spain, we have one or two names, our father’s lastname and our mother’s lastname.
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charlie sheen — carlos estévez
I don’t think omitting one or more of your many given names counts. Most people use only one name, usually the first, in everyday life. Same for nicknames- Geena Davis, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Reese Witherspoon - we should speak about ‘full’ name, rather than ‘real’ name.
(About Antonio Banderas: In Spain people use both their father’s and their mother’s surnames. It is not unusual for people who have a very common first surname, like Domínguez, to use the second, if it’s less common, like Banderas, in their profession.)(There must be a gazillion José Domínguez in Spain, and they’re probably plumbers LOL…)
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Marion Michael Morrison was John Wayne.
John Footpenis - John Handcock.
Jennifer Aniston was christened Jennifer Ann ass ta kis
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