Actresses You Didn’t Know Are Not Using Their Real Names

Some of the most familiar names in film and television started out very differently on paper. Stage names often help with privacy, union conflicts, or simply make a tough surname easier to pronounce. Others come from family connections that artists want to honor. Here are well known actresses whose professional names are not the ones on their original birth certificates.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was born Neta-Lee Hershlag in Jerusalem. She adopted Portman, a family name, early in her career to keep her private life separate while she was still in school. Her first film credit as Natalie Portman came with ‘Léon: The Professional’. The change helped her navigate press attention as a young performer.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone’s birth name is Emily Jean Stone. She switched to Emma because the name Emily Stone was already registered with the performers union. Early on she briefly tried Riley as a stage name before settling on Emma. She soon appeared under that name in projects like ‘Superbad’ and on television.

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore was born Julie Anne Smith. She combined Julie and Anne into Julianne and took Moore from her mother’s maiden name to avoid conflicts with other performers. The new name first appeared during her time on ‘As the World Turns’. It allowed her to establish a distinct professional identity.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon’s full birth name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. She chose to go by Reese, which is a family surname, as she began working. Using Reese made her name shorter and more memorable on casting sheets. Her earliest credits and breakout roles use Reese Witherspoon consistently.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson. She adopted Whoopi from a theater nickname and later added Goldberg as a surname she felt worked well on stage. Before film success in ‘The Color Purple’, she used the name on comedy and stage projects. The distinctive combination became her public and professional identity.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson was born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers. She adopted Larson because her birth surname was often mispronounced in the United States. She has mentioned choosing it in part after a favorite childhood doll with the surname Larson. Early television work like ‘Raising Dad’ credited her as Brie Larson.

Demi Moore

Demi Moore’s birth name is Demetria Gene Guynes. She took Moore from her first husband and kept it professionally after their marriage ended. The shortened first name Demi appeared in her earliest film credits. The change created a simple and easily recognizable screen name.

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. She shortened Margaret to Meg and adopted Ryan as a professional surname early in her acting career. The new name appeared in soap opera credits before her film breakout. It has been her consistent screen name across romantic comedies and dramas.

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder’s birth name is Winona Laura Horowitz. She adopted Ryder after a musician her family admired and used it on her first film ‘Lucas’. The stage surname helped her stand out in teen and coming-of-age projects. She kept her given first name while establishing a distinct public persona.

Tina Fey

Tina Fey was born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey. She began using Tina, a nickname drawn from Stamatina, during her improv years. The shorter name appeared in her writing and performing credits on ‘Saturday Night Live’. It remains the name she uses across acting, writing, and producing.

Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers. She legally changed her name to Portia de Rossi as a teenager, inspired by literature and a desire for a fresh start in the industry. She has continued to use de Rossi professionally throughout her television career. She later made a legal name update after marriage while keeping de Rossi on screen.

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver’s birth name is Susan Alexandra Weaver. She chose Sigourney at age fourteen after a character in a classic American novel. The distinctive first name appeared on her early stage and film credits, including ‘Alien’. It quickly became one of the most recognizable names in science fiction and drama.

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren was born Helen Lydia Mironoff. Her family anglicized the surname to Mirren in the postwar years, and she used Helen Mirren as she began acting. The updated name appeared in her early theater and screen work. It reflects her family’s heritage while being straightforward for English audiences.

Judy Garland

Judy Garland’s birth name is Frances Ethel Gumm. The studio era encouraged a change, and she adopted Judy Garland as she moved from vaudeville group performances to solo film roles. She used the new name as a teenager while appearing in musicals like ‘The Wizard of Oz’. The rebranding aligned with the image the studio promoted.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson and later used the surname Baker in childhood records. She adopted Marilyn at the suggestion of industry mentors and took Monroe from her mother’s family name. The stage name appeared on modeling shoots before her film contract. It became one of Hollywood’s most enduring identities.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis was born Milena Markovna Kunis in Chernivtsi, then part of the Soviet Union. She began using Mila as a shortened first name after moving to the United States. Her earliest major credit as Mila Kunis came on ‘That ’70s Show’. The simplified name helped with pronunciation and fit standard billing formats.

Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde was born Olivia Jane Cockburn. She adopted Wilde as a tribute to writer Oscar Wilde and to create a distinct professional identity. She first used the name while working in television and theater. Screen audiences widely encountered it through her role on ‘House’.

Lily James

Lily James was born Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson. She chose James as a stage surname in honor of her late father, actor and musician James Thomson. Early credits such as ‘Downton Abbey’ introduced the name to a wide audience. She continued using it in high-profile films like ‘Cinderella’.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton was born Katherine Matilda Swinton. She began using Tilda, a familiar form of Matilda, during her early stage work. The shorter name quickly appeared in experimental projects and independent films. It has remained her professional credit across art house and mainstream productions.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna. Hollywood executives encouraged a new surname and she adopted Lamarr soon after arriving in the United States. Her first major American credit as Hedy Lamarr was ‘Algiers’. The new name aligned with the studio branding of the period.

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Stockholm. She adopted Garbo when transitioning from European films to Hollywood features. American audiences first saw the name in early releases like ‘Torrent’. The change helped establish a distinct identity in international markets.

Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske. She took Bacall from a family surname and adjusted the spelling for screen use. Her debut under the name came with ‘To Have and Have Not’. The studio continued promoting her with that credit in subsequent films.

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam. She shortened her surname to Kaling to avoid frequent mispronunciations in audition rooms. Her first widespread credit as Mindy Kaling appeared on ‘The Office’, where she also wrote and produced. The streamlined name appears across her work in television and film.

Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev was born Nikolina Konstantinova Dobreva in Bulgaria. She anglicized her first and last names after moving to Canada to make them easier for North American casting lists. Early credits like ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ used Nina Dobrev. The adaptation kept a clear link to her original name while aiding recognizability.

Doris Day

Doris Day was born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff. A bandleader suggested Doris Day as a simpler marquee name when she was a teenage singer. She carried the name into film with ‘Romance on the High Seas’. The stage surname matched the upbeat image marketed in her recordings and movies.

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur. MGM organized a fan contest that led to the adoption of Joan Crawford as her screen name. She first appeared with that credit in early features like ‘Our Dancing Daughters’. The rename was part of the studio’s publicity strategy for rising stars.

Veronica Lake

Veronica Lake was born Constance Frances Marie Ockleman. Paramount crafted the name Veronica Lake during her transition from minor roles to leads. Audiences saw the new credit in films such as ‘Sullivan’s Travels’. The studio paired the name with a signature hairstyle that became part of her image.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko to Russian parents. A studio publicist anglicized her surname to Wood as she moved into larger roles. She used Natalie Wood in childhood films including ‘Miracle on 34th Street’. The simplified credit supported broader audience familiarity.

Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino. Columbia Pictures lightened her hair and recommended the surname Hayworth, drawn from a family connection, to reduce typecasting. She began using Rita Hayworth on studio features and publicity materials. Viewers widely recognized it through films like ‘Gilda’.

Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson was born Melanie Elizabeth Bownds in Sydney. She adopted Rebel Wilson early in her career and later made Wilson her legal surname. Australian television appearances such as ‘Pizza’ credited her under the new name. She continued with that credit in international projects including ‘Bridesmaids’.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was born Angelina Jolie Voight in Los Angeles. She dropped her father’s surname early in her career to separate her professional identity from family publicity. Casting sheets and credits listed her as Angelina Jolie on projects like ‘Hackers’ and ‘Gia’. The streamlined name soon became standard across her film and humanitarian work.

Blake Lively

Blake Lively was born Blake Ellender Brown. She adopted Lively from her stepfather, actor and coach Ernie Lively, and kept it as her professional surname. Early credits such as ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ used Blake Lively on screen. The change aligned her with a family of performers already working in Hollywood.

Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara was born Patricia Rooney Mara. She chose to go by Rooney, her middle name, before landing major studio work. Credits quickly standardized to Rooney Mara on films like ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’. The adjustment distinguished her from other performers with similar first names.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep was born Mary Louise Streep. The name Meryl came from a long-standing family nickname that she adopted during her theater training. Early stage and screen credits listed her as Meryl Streep, including ‘Julia’. The distinctive first name made her billing instantly recognizable.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall. She selected Keaton, her mother’s maiden name, when she joined professional acting unions to avoid conflicts. The surname appeared on stage in ‘Play It Again, Sam’ and in films like ‘The Godfather’. She has used Diane Keaton consistently across acting, directing, and producing.

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster was born Alicia Christian Foster. Jodie originated as a childhood nickname and became her working name by the time she was doing commercials. Television credits such as ‘Mayberry R.F.D.’ and film roles like ‘Taxi Driver’ used Jodie Foster. The nickname evolved into her permanent professional identity.

Zendaya

Zendaya was born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. She adopted a mononym professionally and dropped her surname for credits. Audiences first saw Zendaya widely on ‘Shake It Up’ and later in ‘Euphoria’. The single name is used across acting, music, and fashion collaborations.

Awkwafina

Awkwafina was born Nora Lum. She created the stage name as a teenager and first used it in music before acting roles followed. Screen credits soon listed Awkwafina in projects like ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘The Farewell’. She continues to use Nora Lum for legal matters while keeping Awkwafina on camera.

Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg. She chose Jane Seymour after the Tudor queen, aiming for a shorter and more memorable billing. The name appeared in early screen roles including ‘Live and Let Die’ and the series ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’. It has remained her professional identity for film and television.

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren was born Sofia Villani Scicolone. Early in her career she briefly used Sofia Lazzaro before adopting Sophia Loren at the suggestion of producers. The new surname appeared on Italian and international releases such as ‘Two Women’. It became synonymous with her collaborations across European and Hollywood cinema.

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston. She later used Hepburn-Ruston in personal records before settling on Audrey Hepburn professionally. Film credits including ‘Roman Holiday’ established the name internationally. The change simplified her billing while maintaining a link to her family background.

Joan Fontaine

Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Havilland. She took Fontaine from her stepfather’s surname to avoid professional confusion with her sister, Olivia de Havilland. Credits under Joan Fontaine included leading roles in ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Suspicion’. The adopted name marked a separate career path within the same family.

Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra was born Tara Leigh Patrick. She adopted Carmen Electra during her early music and television work, with industry mentors encouraging the rebrand. Credits on shows like ‘Baywatch’ used the new name. It has remained her screen and hosting credit across appearances and films.

Lea Michele

Lea Michele was born Lea Michele Sarfati. She dropped her surname as a teenager to simplify audition listings and avoid mispronunciations. Broadway and television credits used Lea Michele in ‘Spring Awakening’ and ‘Glee’. The shorter name became her standard across albums, tours, and screen projects.

Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek. Sissy was a family nickname that transitioned into her professional first name as roles increased. Early appearances credited her as Sissy Spacek in films like ‘Badlands’ and ‘Carrie’. The nickname has served as her consistent billing throughout a long career.

Share your favorite surprising stage name stories in the comments and tell us who we should add next.