Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash
Big Hollywood stars are famous for their talent and their catchy names. But those names are often just for show business and are not their real names. Many celebrities changed their birth names entirely before they found huge success in the entertainment world. Today we are looking at the original full names of these famous stars. Some of these real names will definitely catch you by surprise.
Mindy Kaling Is Actually Vera Mindy Chokalingam
The funny actress and writer decided to shorten her long last name when she started doing stand up comedy years ago. She just went with her middle name because her parents had been calling her Mindy since she was a little baby anyway.
Jamie Foxx Was Born Eric Marlon Bishop
He picked a name that sounded somewhat neutral because comedy clubs back then often called women to the stage first. So he started brainstorming unisex names and later he came with Jamie Foxx. It was just random and worked pretty well for him
Emma Stone Is Really Emily Jean Stone
You might surprise yourself knowing Emma Stone is actually Emily Jean Stone. The actors union required a unique name so she had to switch. It is because there was already another actress with the similar name so she decided to go with her real name. She tested out the name Riley for a bit. She also expressed in an April 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, that in the real world, she wants to know by her real name.
Bruno Mars Was Named Peter Gene Hernandez
He got the nickname Bruno from his dad when he was just a little kid because he looked like a famous wrestler. He later added the last name Mars because he felt it sounded bigger than life and fit the image he wanted as an entertainer.
Reese Witherspoon Is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
She uses her last surname as her stage name. Reese and Witherspoon are a mix of her dad’s last name and her mother’s maiden name. She shortened her full name when she was doing her first ever film “ The Man in the Moon”, when she was 14 years old.
Calvin Harris Started as Adam Richard Wiles
The famous DJ wanted a name that sounded a bit more vague and international when he released his very first dance track. He thought Adam Wiles sounded a bit too normal for the massive electronic music scene he was trying to conquer.
Brad Pitt Is Actually William Bradley Pitt
Many fans are surprised to learn that Brad Pitt’s full birth name is William Bradley Pitt. He chose to go by Brad, a shortened version of his middle name, as he built his acting career. While it is not a completely different stage name, it became one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood.
Lady Gaga Was Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Her famous stage name actually comes from a popular Queen song called “Radio Ga Ga” that her music producer loved to play. The name completely fits her wild and creative pop star personality much better than her regular everyday birth name.
Nicolas Cage Is Really Nicolas Kim Coppola
He changed his last name early on so people would not constantly compare him to his famous movie director uncle Francis Ford Coppola. He actually took his new last name from a Marvel comic book character named Luke Cage because he loved reading them so much.
Katy Perry Was Named Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
She changed her name so she would not get confused with the famous actress Kate Hudson who was already very popular. Perry is actually her mother’s maiden name so she kept it completely in the family while building her huge music career.
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