Not all Hollywood actors are born with star-studded names, take a look at this lot who changed their mundane birth names in their quest for superstardom. To be fair, it worked. Really well.
Michael J. Fox – Michael Andrew Fox
One of the most iconic names of the late ‘80s, the title Michael J. Fox came about as a means to an end. As there was already a Michael Fox registered to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the burgeoning actor had to use something unique. As Michael A. Fox sounds too much like a euphemism, he plumped for a ‘J’ instead. It’s not as if he could have gone back in time and altered history, returned to the future and been left to enjoy a punctuation free name. Sounds like a good film, that.
Meg Ryan - Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra
If you are going to be a movie star, you’re probably going to give an awful lot of signatures (for £20 a pop if you’re Hayden Panettiere). So a good idea is to pick a shorter, snappier name a la Meg Ryan. With a colossal five word name, Meg’s signature would have taken longer than ‘You’ve Got Mail’ felt. No wonder Panettiere charges.
Danny DeVito - Daniel Michaeli
Although lacking in stature, the veteran actor sure had his showbiz brain sorted when he plumped for Danny DeVito as his acting name. Filled with alliteration and gangster class, if he’d included much more pizzazz, casting agents would have had to wear sunglasses. He did start his career in the ‘70s mind, so they were probably wearing them already.
Kirk Douglas - Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Kirk Douglas changed his Russian name to one that wouldn’t be endlessly misspelt. His more simplistic name ended up being a good deed for head scratching journalists around the world after a host of successful flicks. His most popular films include ‘Out of the Past’ (1947), ‘Champion’ (1949), ‘Ace in the Hole’ (1951), ‘The Bad and the Beautiful’ (1952), ‘Lust for Life’ (1956), ‘Paths of Glory’ (1957), ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ (1957), ‘Spartacus’ (1960) and ‘Lonely Are the Brave’ (1962). His name would have taken up most of the film review column inches too.
Judy Garland – Frances Gumm
Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, as well as being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in ‘A Star is Born’ and for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film, ‘Judgement at Nuremberg’. Not sure she would have got anywhere near that success with a name like Gumm.
Jamie Foxx - Eric Marlon Bishop
Adding an extra ‘x’ into your brand new name is sure to give it a pretty big chunk of cool. Well, anything other that Eric Bishop was going to do that, I suppose. But Jamie Foxx went that little bit further to pretty much instigate a brand name. Just as well really as he has gone on to endorse countless products.
Christopher Walken – Ronald Walken
Originally named at birth after the Ronald Colman, he changed his first name to Christopher at the suggestion of a friend who believed the name suited him better. He definitely wouldn’t have been cast in 99 (and counting) films if he was called Ronand. Even his brooding, evil sounding voice wouldn’t have saved him from that name.
Jodie Foster – Alicia Christian Foster
Jodie Foster was a prolific child star, having appeared in almost 50 films and TV shows by the time she went to college. Her huge portfolio of movies must have confused a lot of people, changing her name to Jody, then Jodi and finally landing on Jodie. Seeing as her characters normally involve action and/or a ‘strong’ woman, the name Alicia doesn’t quite fit the bill. Watch Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in ‘Batman and Robin’ and you will know what I mean.
Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irwin Estevez
When he’s not drinking dragon’s blood or getting high on ‘Charlie Sheen’, he was, and will probably resume being, an actor. Although most famed for his TV stuff, he has some major Hollywood credits to his name. ‘Platoon’, ‘Red Dawn’ and ‘Scary Movie 3’ were all erm… highlights. Taking his father’s acting name was probably a good call in getting his career started. If only he’d asked for his dad’s advice on how to end it.
Gene Wilder - Jerome Silberman
By far the best Willy Wonka to have graced the silver screen (if you’re not a middle aged woman), Gene Wilder is a Hollywood legend. The same could not be said for Jerome Silberman, who sounds like a sleazy used car salesman from somewhere you’ve never heard of… and never want to go back.
While rummaging in the Yahoo! cupboard for a pair of purple flip flops and a promotional beach ball to take to the beach, we stumbled across a treasure chest of names that no one really recognised.
After delving a little deeper we found that they are actually the real names of the hottest Hollywood stars. Here’s what we found:
Jennifer Aniston - Jennifer AnastassakisNot the wildest change of name, as it sounds as though it stemmed from a fairly lazy teacher who couldn’t be bothered to ask how to pronounce it. Either that or Jennifer couldn't pronounce it herself. They are the only possible explanations.
Nicolas Cage - Nicolas Kim CoppolaWith Nic Cage’s recent spell in a police cell, this change of name seems fairly ironic. Maybe it was all part of his master plan to distance himself from the Coppola family.
Michael Caine - Maurice Joseph MicklewhiteProbably one of the wisest name changes in the history of letters. Maurice Micklewhite sounds more like a killer in ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ rather than a talented actor. The name would have helped him get an endorsement deal with M&Ms though. Swings and roundabouts we guess.
Michael Keaton - Michael John DouglasQuite clearly a ploy to steer clear of a case of mistaken identity. He might have accidentally won an Oscar though.
Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jean Mortenson - Norma Jean BakerOne of the most iconic names in cinematic history is one just plucked from the air before her first audition. A bit disappointing, much like the Enigma… or ‘The Tourist’.
Natalie Portman - Natalie HershlagNatalie probably spotted the iconic Sun-pun headlines coming a mile off on this one and took decisive and much needed action.
[See also: Pop star acting calamities]
Bruce Willis - Walter Bruce WillisWalter? WALTER? His entire effortless cool and action hero swagger has been sabotaged by name terrorists. Get that white (and then immediately brown) tank top back on Bruce and save the day again!
Whoopi Goldberg - Caryn Elaine JohnsonIf you could choose your name to any name in the world, who else would have landed with ‘Whoopi’? So ridiculous you thought that it couldn’t be made up. It can and it was. She now kind of sounds like an ice cream. Perfect for the current heat-wave.
Tom Cruise - Thomas Mapother IVGosh, doesn’t Tom Cruise’s real name sound a bit posh? Maybe he should have kept his birth name, then he would have been slated for that rather than his movies.
John Wayne - Marion MorrisonEverybody’s favourite cowboy, John Wayne, starred on top of many a horse back in the day. Any self respecting steed would have bucked off a man named Marion Morrison so it probably best he went for the change.
What names were you most surprised by? Do you know of any other drastic celeb name changes? Let us know.
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