Big Box Office: Celebrity Names
Movie stars often change their names to give themselves more box office appeal. The practice has been around as long as there have been movies. In fact, the Actor's Equity Association (AEA) used to advise actors to give themselves stage names if their given names are in any way hard to pronounce or "ethnic."
Take a look at these celebrities' real names and it's easy to see why they chose stage names. Some were simplified and shortened so they could be more easily pronounced, while others were jazzed up to make them more memorable and dramatic.
Jack Benny, actor — Benjamin Kubelsky
Mel Brooks, director — Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns, comedian — Nathan Birnbaum
Michael Caine, actor — Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Jackie Chan, actor — Chan Kong-sang
Elvis Costello, singer — Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
Tom Cruise, actor — Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Kirk Douglas, actor — Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Bob Dylan, singer — Robert Allen Zimmerman
Eminem, singer — Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Judy Garland, actress — Frances Ethel Gumm
Cary Grant, actor — Archie Leach
Harry Houdini, magician — Ehrich Weiss
Elton John, singer — Reginald Dwight
Boris Karloff, actor — William Pratt
Danny Kaye, actor — David Daniel Kaminski
Nathan Lane, actor — Joseph Lane
Jerry Lewis, comedian — Joseph Levitch
Dean Martin, actor — Dino Crocetti
Freddie Mercury, singer — Faroukh Bulsara
Marilyn Monroe, actor — Norma Jean Mortenson, later Norma Jean Baker
Mickey Rooney, actor — Joe Yule Jr.
Axl Rose, singer — William Bruce Rose
Charlie Sheen, actor — Carlos Irwin Estevez
Martin Sheen, actor — Ramon Estevez
Ringo Starr, drummer — Richard Starkey
Jimmy Stewart, actor — Stewart Granger
Ritchie Valens, singer — Ricardo Valenzuela
Sid Vicious, guitarist — John Simon Ritchie
John Wayne, actor — Marion Robert Morrison, later Marion Michael Morrison
Gene Wilder, actor — Jerome Silberman
Stevie Wonder, singer — Steveland Morris
Take a look at these celebrities' real names and it's easy to see why they chose stage names. Some were simplified and shortened so they could be more easily pronounced, while others were jazzed up to make them more memorable and dramatic.
Jack Benny, actor — Benjamin Kubelsky
Mel Brooks, director — Melvin Kaminsky
George Burns, comedian — Nathan Birnbaum
Michael Caine, actor — Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Jackie Chan, actor — Chan Kong-sang
Elvis Costello, singer — Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
Tom Cruise, actor — Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Kirk Douglas, actor — Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Bob Dylan, singer — Robert Allen Zimmerman
Eminem, singer — Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Judy Garland, actress — Frances Ethel Gumm
Cary Grant, actor — Archie Leach
Harry Houdini, magician — Ehrich Weiss
Elton John, singer — Reginald Dwight
Boris Karloff, actor — William Pratt
Danny Kaye, actor — David Daniel Kaminski
Nathan Lane, actor — Joseph Lane
Jerry Lewis, comedian — Joseph Levitch
Dean Martin, actor — Dino Crocetti
Freddie Mercury, singer — Faroukh Bulsara
Marilyn Monroe, actor — Norma Jean Mortenson, later Norma Jean Baker
Mickey Rooney, actor — Joe Yule Jr.
Axl Rose, singer — William Bruce Rose
Charlie Sheen, actor — Carlos Irwin Estevez
Martin Sheen, actor — Ramon Estevez
Ringo Starr, drummer — Richard Starkey
Jimmy Stewart, actor — Stewart Granger
Ritchie Valens, singer — Ricardo Valenzuela
Sid Vicious, guitarist — John Simon Ritchie
John Wayne, actor — Marion Robert Morrison, later Marion Michael Morrison
Gene Wilder, actor — Jerome Silberman
Stevie Wonder, singer — Steveland Morris
