Would we think of Marilyn Manson the same way if he were known by his birth name, Brian Warner?
Does this woman look at she should be called Portia De Rossi or Amanda Lee Rogers?
Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s any person breaking into show business was encouraged to change their real name to a stage name. A stage name is a pseudonym that a celebrity chooses to be recognized by, rather than their given birth name. Even today, many celebrities change their names for a variety of reasons. Some feel that their birth names lack that certain pizzazz that is associated with celebrity. The person may feel that their name just doesn’t possess the right sound. A name may sound too plain and ordinary, so a showbiz name is adopted instead. Others want to conceal their family origins. Sometimes foreign names that are difficult to spell or pronounce are changed to another name that sounds more American. Some may just have the same name of a person who is already in the business and do not want to be confused with that other person; there are acting organizations that prevent more than one member having the same name.
Hollywood is often accused of being a “fake” community. The most commonly fake occurrence in the industry is that of fake, or rather stage names. Whatever the reason, many celebrities choose to adopt new names. Here is an entertaining list of celebrity stage names and birth names. You may be surprised when you see how many famous people that you know and love were actually born under another name. For some, it is clear to see why they wanted to adopt new names. In other cases, the celebrity names are similar to the actual birth names. Keep reading…
