Because stage names aren’t just for artists in the music industry, we present to you 10 actors who have decided to change their names to shine better on the big screen.
It is not uncommon for stars to change their names or use pseudonyms in the world of entertainment or the seventh art. Testimony lies in these ten actors and movie stars who have chosen to forge a new identity to rise to fame.
Michael Keaton
Iconic American actors who have notably marked Hollywood batman, birdman Or Spider-Man: Homecoming, Michael Keaton was forced to change his last name in order to be able to carve out a niche for himself in the cinema. And with good reason, the 70-year-old actor is actually called Michael Douglas.
A name that was already a household name in the industry, Kirk Douglas’ son made his debut in the 70s. To sound different, the interpreter of Beetlejuice decided to drop his surname for Keaton, which he chose in reference to silent film star, Buster Keaton.
jamie fox
Born Eric Marlon Bishop, star of Django Unchained He chose a pseudonym when he began his acting career in a comedy club. The Texan comedian preferred to drop his identity for the name Jamie Foxx, which he chose in reference to actor Redd Foxx. To climb the celebrity ladder, it is enough to invent a real stage character. This short stint was also successful for him, as fifteen years later he won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in it. Ray.
Joaquin Phoenix
If he hasn’t changed his name in connection with his career, Joaquin Phoenix is actually called Joaquin Rafael Bottom. This change in surname occurred in the late 1970s, when his parents, who had settled in Venezuela, decided to leave the Children of God sect and return to the United States. The entire family then adopted the name Phoenix, which also became Joaquin’s stage name.
Also, frustrated that she doesn’t have a first name related to nature or the hippie spirit like her siblings (River, Rain, Summer and Freedom), Joe goes by the name Leaf Phoenix for a while. , then finally resumes his real first name in the 90s. This explains why the actor is given the first name Leaf in his first films.
nicolas cage actor
The grandson of composer Carmine Coppola and nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, Nicolas Cage grew up to be known as Nicolas Kim Coppola. Only here, the actor didn’t want to join his prestigious family and wanted to make a name for himself. Interviewed by Wired, he also revealed that he faced mockery from his peers regarding his uncle’s films.
He kept saying things like: “I love the smell of Nicolas early in the morning”In reference to Robert Duvall’s line Apocalypse Now. Tired of these small talk, the young man chose to change his name and set his sights on Cage, a reference to Marvel hero Luke Cage as well as musician John Cage.
Natalie Portman
Today, Natalie Portman, who is famous all over the world for her many film roles, started her career at a very young age. She was only 13 when the film released. LeonIn which he replied to Jean Reno. That’s why his parents decided to change his name to save him from fame.
A way to separate his life as a star from his personal life, as well as give him a pseudonym that is easier to remember internationally. Actually, the American-Israeli actress is called Neta-Lee Hershlag. So her first name was only Americanized for the cinema and “Portman” is her grandmother’s maiden name.
actor ben kingsley
Ben Kingsley, of British descent by his mother and of Indian descent by his father, is actually called Krishna Pandit Bhanji. A name that the actor found too difficult to pronounce, and so he chose to change it to an Anglo-Saxon-sounding pseudonym in order to pass his first audition. From there, the name stuck and the comedian continued to find fame in Hollywood as Ben Kingsley.
brad pitt
Hollywood’s inescapable star, Brad Pitt, did a little tidying up of his stage name before venturing into cinema. In real life, the American actor is called William Pitt, like his father, and so he chose a slightly shorter name, taking inspiration from his middle name, Bradley. Brief and effective, the name “Brad Pitt” had everything to be etched in people’s memory… and this was quickly attested to by his first roles and his spectacular rise in Hollywood.
michael caine actor
A big name in British cinema, Michael Caine has had a successful career alternating between blockbusters and auteur films since the 1950s. Upon his debut, the actor changed his name and became known as Michael White, abandoning Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. Then, he decided to cast Michael Scott before once again changing his mind and deciding on Michael Caine, taking inspiration from the film. storm on cane by Edward Dmitriev. This new stage name brought him fortunes and then stayed with him throughout his Hollywood life in the limelight.
Julianne Moore
Born Julie Anne Smith, Julianne Moore was forced by circumstance to change her name. When she wanted to register with the Screen Actors Guild Union, the actress learned that there was already another Julie Smith on the register and so changed her first name to Julianne. Problem, a Julian Smith was already registered too! So the young woman took her father’s middle name, “Moore”, and made it her new surname.
actor oscar isaac
Of Guatemalan descent by his mother and Cuban descent by his father, Oscar Isaac is actually called Oscar Isaac Hernandez Estrada. A somewhat long name that the actor had to shorten to make it a simpler stage name. So they abandoned their Latin-sounding names to retain their two more international first names. It’s a clever sleight of hand that actors regularly enjoy when interviewed by journalists.