NAME GAME
Celebrities you didn’t know used stage names as Reese Witherspoon, Katy Perry and Brad Pitt’s real ones are revealed
Fans were shocked to learn Reese's real name recently
CELEBRITIES have been using stage names for decades, leaving many fans unaware of their favorite stars' real monikers.
Reese Witherspoon revealed in a June 5 interview that she doesn't call Laura Dern by her first name because it's too similar to her given name, which stunned fans.
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Reese, 48, appeared in a video for Vanity Fair alongside her Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman, who questioned why she always refers to Laura, 57, by her last name.
"I hate how you call her Dern," she confessed.
"It sounds so weird. I'm always like 'Laura,' and you're like 'No, Dern, Dern,' and I'm like, 'Why?'"
Reese quickly jumped in, clearing up the confusion.
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"Cause my name is Laura, and her name's Laura, and it's confusing to me," she said.
Reese's real name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon.
Nicole admitted that she "forgot" her castmate's real name but still appeared confused, noting that Laura "doesn't even call you Laura, though."
Reese couldn't argue with that.
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"You're trying to understand something that just makes no sense," she quipped back.
She's not the only celebrity who's been using a stage name for her entire career, however.
Celebrities using stage names
Celebrities frequently change their names, reinventing themselves as they pursue fame and fortune. Many fans don't know the real names of their favorite stars. Here are some A-listers and their lesser-known birth names.
- Snoop Dogg (Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.)
- Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson)
- Portia de Rossi (Amanda Lee Rogers)
- Jamie Foxx (Eric Marlon Bishop)
- Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty)
- Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham)
- Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Rafael Bottom)
- Jay Z (Shawn Corey Carter)
- John Legend (John Roger Stephens)
- Olivia Wilde (Olivia Jane Cockburn)
- Vin Diesel (Mark Sinclair)
- Jason Sudeikis (Daniel Jason Sudeikis)
- Meg Ryan (Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra)
- Mindy Kaling (Vera Mindy Chokalingam)
- Lil Nas X (Montero Lamar Hill)
Katy Perry, Jason Sudeikis, Cardi B, John Legend, and other big names in the industry are among the many stars going by names other than those they were given at birth.
KATY PERRY
Katy, 39, was born Katheryn Hudson. She's not known as that to her current fans, but she performed under the name as a Christian and gospel singer in Nashville, Tennessee before she was famous.
After finding no success in gospel, she moved to Los Angeles and shifted gears to pop music.
Katy started using her mother's maiden name, which is Perry, in an effort to avoid being confused for or linked to actress Kate Hudson.
MILEY CYRUS
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The Flowers singer was born Destiny Hope Cyrus but has performed as Miley since her early acting days.
The name stems from her childhood nickname, Smiley.
Miley legally changed her name in 2008 when she was 15.
She became Miley Ray Cyrus, paying homage to her father Billy Ray Cyrus.
LANA DEL REY
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Lana Del Rey got her start performing under her birth name, Elizabeth Grant, but struggled to find success.
Eventually, she decided to rebrand and opted for a new moniker as Lana Del Rey.
She had tossed around a few different nicknames before settling on the one fans know and love today.
She came up with the name while in Miami on a trip with her sister. She was inspired by the tropical surroundings.
ALEXIS BLEDEL
The Gilmore Girls star was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel.
She's never revealed the reason she decided not to go by her birth name but has always acted and modeled as Alexis.
BRUNO MARS
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To fans he may be Bruno, but the Hawaii native is actually named Peter Hernandez. Bruno was a family nickname.
His father began calling him Bruno when he was a child, noting that he resembled professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
When he moved to Los Angeles at age 17, he adopted Bruno Mars as his stage name.
Bruno came from his father's nickname for him, while Mars was a reference to his otherworldly talent, according to Rap-Up.
CARDI B
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Cardi B's real name is Belcalis Almanzar.
During an appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, she revealed that she based her stage name on the alcohol brand Bacardi.
"My sister's name is Hennessy, so everybody used to call me Bacardi," she explained.
"Then it was my Instagram name, Bacardi, Bacardi B. But for some reason, my Instagram kept getting deleted, and, you know what, I think it was Bacardi that had something to do with it. So, I just shortened it to Cardi B."
DEMI MOORE
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The Rough Night actress was born Demi Guynes. The last name comes from her mother's husband, Dan Guynes, who was not her biological father.
Demi was 3 months old when her mother married Dan.
As a teen, Demi got married to musician Freddy Moore.
The marriage didn't last, but she decided to keep the last name.
NATALIE PORTMAN
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The Star Wars actress was born in Israel and named Neta-Lee Hershlag.
Her family moved to the US when she was 3, and she started going by Natalie.
When she got into acting, she decided to use Portman, which is her grandmother's maiden name.
HALSEY
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Halsey was born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane.
She told People that she changed her name because she "felt that Ashley didn't deserve to be famous and successful because she wasn't that special."
She decided on Halsey and never looked back.
LADY GAGA
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Lady Gaga's real name is Stefani Germanotta.
Her stage name is an homage to Queen's song Radio Ga Ga.
BRAD PITT
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The Fight Club star was born William Bradley Pitt.
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He and his father, William Alvin Pitt, share the same name, so the actor went by Bradley or Brad.
As a professional actor, he decided to use the moniker as well.
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