Some celebrities were fortunate to be born with memorable names, while others had to tweak or entirely replace theirs to stand out in the industry. As a result, many actors and singers are known solely by their creative pseudonyms. Yet, in reality, their given names tell a different story.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born into an aristocratic family. Her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, mistakenly believed he was a descendant of Duke James Hepburn, the third husband of Scottish queen Mary. Consequently, he changed his surname to the more aristocratic Hepburn-Ruston. Audrey, too, initially had a double-barreled surname, but as she delved into ballet, film, and modeling, she eventually dropped the ‘Ruston.’
Vin Diesel
The actor’s real name is Mark Sinclair. Diesel adopted his stage name before embarking on his creative career. While working as a nightclub bouncer, he felt the need for a more resonant and powerful nickname, thus taking the first part from his adoptive father Irving Vincent and adding ‘Diesel’ for the energetic connotations associated with a diesel engine.
David Tennant
The actor, renowned for his role as the Tenth Doctor in the TV series ‘Doctor Who,’ used to go by the surname McDonald. However, when he, as a teenager, wanted to join a professional actors’ union, he discovered that someone named David McDonald was already registered. Faced with the need for a new stage name, Tennant confessed, ‘At 16, I had no idea how actors chose pseudonyms. So, I simply flipped through a music magazine and settled on one of the mentioned names.’
Lily James
The actress’s real name is Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson. Her stage name pays tribute to her father, musician James Thomson, who passed away early in her life. Upon learning that there was already a Lily Thomson registered with the Actors’ Guild, she confidently chose to use her father’s name.
Nicholas Cage
The actor’s birth name is Nicholas Kim Coppola. Hailing from a family of filmmakers, Cage initially appeared in several films directed by his famous uncle, Francis Ford Coppola. However, he later opted to make a name for himself independently and became Nicholas Cage to avoid being cast solely due to his connection to the renowned dynasty. He took the last name from the comic book character Luke Cage.
Winona Ryder
At birth, the actress was Winona Laura Horowitz. She adopted the stage name ‘Ryder’ in honor of singer Mitch Ryder, a favorite of her father. In 1986, when asked what name she wanted in the credits for her first film, she recalled a cassette she had previously sent for auditions, featuring a song by Mitch Ryder. That’s how she chose her stage name.
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis dropped his first name. According to a biography of the actor, this decision was a way to bid farewell to the little Walter, who stuttered and suffered mockery from classmates, earning the nickname ‘Buck-Buck.’ However, soon after joining a theater group, the boy almost entirely overcame his speech impediments.
Demi Moore
Demi Gene Guynes entered show business at a very young age. At 18, she married singer Freddy Moore, twelve years her senior. Demi began using his last name as her stage name even before the wedding and retained it after their divorce.
Michelle Mercier
Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier, remembered by many as Angelique in the film adaptations of Anne and Serge Golon’s novels, adopted the pseudonym ‘Michelle Mercier.’ The young debutante chose it because her real name seemed too lengthy and outdated to the filmmakers.
The future star decided to become Michelle in honor of French cinema legend Michelle Morgan. It was also the name of the actress’s younger sister, who passed away at the age of five.
Ben Kingsley
Krishna Pandit Bhanji admitted that he couldn’t get a job due to his name, which looked unusual in the credits. However, once the aspiring actor introduced himself as ‘Ben Kingsley,’ his career took off instantly. One producer even suggested he pursue music and become a pop star. Kingsley declined, having already decided to join the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant felt that her birth name didn’t match her stage persona and adopted the pseudonym ‘Lana Del Rey.’ The singer revealed that she used to spend a lot of time in Miami, speaking Spanish with her Cuban friends.
The name ‘Lana Del Rey’ reminded her of that time and invoked memories of the beauty of the seaside. The first part came from actress Lana Turner’s name, and the second was inspired by the Ford Del Rey, a car produced in Brazil in the 1980s.
Jack Black
In childhood, Thomas Jacob Black earned the nickname ‘Jack.’ It originated from shortening his middle name and stuck with him, blending exceptionally well with his surname. When Thomas started acting in movies, he believed ‘Jack Black’ was the perfect choice for the film credits.
Whoopi Goldberg
Young Caryn Elaine Johnson decided her real surname wasn’t ‘star-worthy’ and replaced it with the more sonorous and memorable ‘Goldberg.’ The actress’s stage name came from her childhood nickname, ‘Whoopi,’ which translates to ‘farting cushion.’ Caryn was never shy about releasing gas when needed.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Bottom received help from his parents when changing his surname. At some point, they decided their family would be the Phoenixes, after the mythical bird that rises from the ashes to new life. All five of their children, including Joaquin, adopted the new surname. Additionally, until the age of 15, the future actor responded to ‘Leaf’ because he loved raking leaves and wanted a nickname connected to nature. However, he eventually reverted to his original name.
Sigourney Weaver
At birth, the future actress was named Susan Alexandra Weaver. She developed a passion for theater in school, consistently participating in various productions. She began using the name Sigourney at the age of 14, borrowing it from a minor character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby.’
Regardless of what our favorite actors are called, we will always continue to follow their careers, witness the adventures of the characters they create in film, and listen to their voices in animated features.
