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Celebrities using fake names, pseudonyms, stage names, professional names, whatever, instead of their real names is nothing new. Part of the reason for that now is because the Screen Actors Guild stipulates that no two actors may have the same working names. Other reasons are because celebrities don’t think their real name is catchy, or it’s too difficult to spell or pronounce. And then there are some that try to maintain some sense of anonymity by using a fake name. (Does that ever work?)
Sometimes, at least back in the olden days, some actors were actually given their stage names by an agent, manager, or even a movie studio. For instance, legendary actor Archibald Leach was renamed Cary Grant by Paramount Pictures.
And while these pseudonyms are usually much more sexy than the celebrity’s real name, it’s often even more interesting to find out the name they were actually given when they were born.
We’ll be breaking today’s list, call it Volume One of celebrities’ real names, into two categories: those who completely changed their name with no ties whatsoever to their birth name, and those who only altered it a bit for, more than likely, one of the reasons given above.
[Coming Soon: Volume 3 of celebrities real names, plus rappers’ real names, wrestlers’ real names, and fake names celebrities use when they check into hotels. Stay tuned.]
Celebrities Who Completely Changed Their Names
The Weeknd was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye
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Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estévez
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John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison
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Shania Twain was born Eilleen Regina Edwards
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Carmen Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick
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Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj
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Calvin Harris was born Adam Richard Wiles
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Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens
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Common was born Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn
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Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson
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Celebrities Who Altered Or Shortened Their Names
Stan Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber
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Kat Dennings was born Katherine Victoria Litwack
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Steven Tyler was born Steven Victor Tallarico
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Chloe Bennet was born Chloe Wang
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Michael Keaton was born Michael John Douglas
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Julianne Moore was born Julie Anne Smith
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Faith Hill was born Audrey Faith Perry
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Billie Eilish was born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell
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John Boyega was born John Adedayo B. Adegboyega
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Woody Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg
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Lea Michele was born Lea Michele Sarfati
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