12 celebrities who officially changed their names because of work

12 stars who opted for stage names to work in entertainment industry

Over the years, many celebrities have changed or opted for a completely different name to be in the industry or better to say stand out in the competitive crowd. From Katy Perry to Nicolas Cage, the stars have their reasons to forgo their birth names. 'Baywatch' alum Carmen Electra has become the latest to ditch her birth name officially. Here is a list of other celebrities who changed their names for their profession:

Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra is the latest celebrity who is changing her name legally. The 51-year-old actress’ birth name is Tara Leigh Patrick but she now reportedly wants Carmen Electra, which is her stage name, as her official name as well. 

Aaron Paul

The ‘Breaking Bad’ actor’s full name is Aaron Paul Sturtevant but he reportedly shortened it because casting directors were finding it difficult to say his surname.

Thandiwe Newton

The British actress’ real name is Melanie Thandiwe Newton but her name was misspelled in her 1991 first film ‘Flirting’ and her stage name became Thandie Newton. A few years ago, however, the 51-year-old star corrected the mistake and reclaimed her real name.

Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernandez is Bruno Mars’ original name. But the singer chose Bruno Mars to not get stereotyped as a Latin singer.

Lea Michele

Lea Michele Sarfati is the birth name of Lea Michele but she changed her last name because of the bullying she faced in her childhood.

Helen Mirren

As per reports, Helen Mirren’s original name was Ilyena Lydia Mironoff. But her Russian father changed it so that she could not face any prejudice and could get more work opportunities.

Michael Caine

Michael Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. However, he reportedly decided to change his “risible” name himself. In his autobiography titled ‘The Elephant To Hollywood’, he wrote that one day he went to Leicester Square and “looked around at all the cinemas.” The 90-year-old retired actor continued, “Then I saw it. Humphrey Bogart, my hero, was starring in The Caine Mutiny. Caine, I would be – because it was short because it was easy to spell because I was feeling very mutinous at the time…”

Woody Allen

Woody Allen’s birth name is Allan Stewart Konigsberg but he reportedly changed it to “simplify pronunciation, to enhance euphony [and] disarm bigotry.”

Martin Sheen

Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez is the birth name of Martin Sheen but the veteran actor changed it. He once revealed, “I thought, I got enough problems trying to get an acting job, so I invented Martin Sheen. I thought I’d give it a try, and before I knew it, I started making a living with it and then it was too late.”

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan’s birth name is Chan Kong-sang. Before making it big in the entertainment world, the Hong Kong actor worked as a construction worker in Australia. During that time, his colleague Jack named him “Little Jack” and he eventually became Jackie Chan.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Kim Coppola opted for Nicolas Cage as his stage name as his uncle Francis Ford Coppola was already famous. He reportedly once revealed, “I had to reinvent myself. I am still legally Nicolas Coppola, but I am Nicolas Cage. I love my family and all of their accomplishments, but as a young actor going into casting offices, I couldn’t get that off of me. I had to focus on the character and the audition and there was pressure because of my name.”

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx’s real name is Eric Marlon Bishop. He reportedly chose Jamie Foxx very early in his career to get more work calls since he found women were preferred more in stand-up comedy.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s birth name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson but she reportedly changed it so that people do not mix her up with actress Kate Hudson.