As part of their profession, Hollywood actors get to take on many temporary names in order to portray different characters. But in the credits, fans always get to see the name that they are familiar with, perhaps with the assumption that this is the name the actor has been using their whole life.
However, this isn't always the case. There are many movie and TV stars whose names are different from the ones that appear on their birth certificates. And the reasons for the name changes vary from person to person.
Vin Diesel
The Fast & Furious actor's real name is Mark Sinclair. He made the decision to switch to Vin Diesel while working as a security guard at a New York nightclub because he wanted a tougher-sounding name. Vin is derived from his mother's last name Vincent while Diesel was given to him by his friends because he was always energetic.
It's undoubtedly the most fitting name the actor would have chosen as "diesel" is linked to engines and he happens to star in the most successful car movie franchise of all time. The name Vin Diesel does indeed sound tough too, making him the ideal action star. More so, the name is more precious because it's exclusive to the bearer.
Anthony Quinn
Quinn is one of the most prolific Hollywood actors of all time, having made 145 movies in his career. And his real name is Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca. According to the actor, the decision was influenced by his desire to be accepted by American audiences.
As per his wish, Quinn would go on to be a huge movie star. And he ought to be lauded for never forgetting his heritage, despite the name change. Apart from being an actor, he was a fierce activist, often fighting for the rights of Latin Americans. He was also part of organizations such as the Spanish-Speaking People's Congress and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Michael Caine
Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. He opted to change his name to Caine after seeing the poster for the Humphrey Bogart movie, The Caine Mutiny. But that wasn't his first choice, as he had initially gone by Michael Scott, only to discover that another actor was already using the name.
Fans won't fault his choice of name as it's hard to imagine the veteran actor going by his birth name. A shorter name clearly suits him better. Interestingly, he hadn't changed his name legally until 2017 during the ISIS crisis. Tired of being questioned by airport security, he decided to make a permanent switch.
Jamie Foxx
Originally going by his birth name Eric Marlon Bishop, Foxx chose a different name in order to fair better on the standup comedy circuit. He selected the name as a tribute to legendary comedian Red Foxx.
There isn't a famous Eric Bishop or Marlon Bishop at the moment, so Foxx wouldn't have had to fight with anyone if he kept his real name. But since he not only became successful in the standup comedy scene but also in Hollywood and the music industry, his decision to go by a different noun seems justified.
Nicolas Cage
Early in his career, Cage was Nicolas Kim Coppola. He opted to change his name in order to avoid being associated with his famous uncle Francis Ford Coppola
The Coppola name is heavily associated with The Godfather trilogy, therefore Cage's choice seems justified. He probably would have had to live under his uncle's shadow instead of being his own man. Thanks to the surname replacement, most people are still aren't aware that one of the best '90s action stars is related to one of the best directors of all time.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi's birth name is Caryn Elaine Johnson. Her friends nicknamed her "Whoopi" because of her tendency to pass gas while doing plays. As for Goldberg, it was her family's Jewish name and her mother thought she'd be more successful if she used it.
Some people might be a little bit skeptical of being named after a bodily function but as a comedic actor, Whoopi was totally OK with it. To date, it's impossible to find anyone else with a similar name, something the star will be grateful for. But given her talents, it's still likely that she would have found success by using her real name. After all, she is one of few performers to have won both an Oscar and an Emmy.
Sir Ben Kingsley
Kingsley's father was of Gujarati descent so he was given the name Krishna Bhanji when he was born. At the start of his Hollywood career, he adopt a different name due to the fear that his birth name would ruin his chances of becoming a star.
Kingsley's concerns made sense when he was starting out in the '70s since there were few Hollywood stars of Indian descent at the time. Today, there is a greater number of high-profile, South Asian actors, with the likes of Kumail Nanjiani, Aziz Ansari, and Priyanka Chopra all considered major stars.
Dame Helen Mirren
Mirren was born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov. Her father, who had fled from Russia to England, then made the decision to remove all Russian ties. He changed the family name to Mirren. Consequently, the actress took the name, Helen Mirren.
Mirren stands out from other performers on the list because unlike them, her noun switch wasn't a personal decision. She's presumably very okay with it too. She is not only considered one of the best actresses but also the quintessential British star like the likes of Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins.
Michael Keaton
"Keaton" was a random name that the actor came up with. He initially wanted to go by his real name. Michael Douglas, but had to look for a different one because there was already a famous Michael Douglas.
There have been cases of celebrities having the same name, with the perfect example being Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan. However, most celebrities with similar names aren't in the same industry. Keaton was therefore right to be concerned as there would have been endless debates about which Michael Douglas is the better actor.
Cary Grant
Listed by the AFI as one of the best actors of all time, Grant was born Archibald Alec Leach. Apparently, studio executives felt that Archie Leach wasn't a cool enough name for a leading man.
Though the Grant name was forced on Leach, it wasn't a bad one so he adopted it legally. By the time, he was meeting Paramount Executives, he had already been singled out as a potential leading man, For this reason, there is still the possibility that he would have still gone on to be successful while using his real name.