What if we told you that everything you know about Hollywood is a lie?
Well, that’s not true. But! There are many celebs walking amongst us using fake identities…
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That’s because many celebs decided to change their last names before making it big in Hollywood. As a result, their careers were done a solid.
Here are 10+ of them.
Nina Dobrev – Dobreva
It’s only a letter difference, but The Vampire Diaries actress opted to take the ‘a’ out of her last name.
She goes as Nina Dobrev in Hollywood, but her family knows her as Nikolina Dobreva.
Olivia Wilde – Olivia Cockburn
Given that last name, it’s pretty obvious why Olivia decided to change it to Wilde.
She got the inspiration for it after starring in an Oscar Wilde play in high school. She also liked that it stuck to her Irish heritage.
Jamie Foxx – Eric Marlon Bishop
He didn’t just change his last name; he changed his full name!
This was after discovering that female comics at comedy clubs got picked to perform more often. By adopting a unisex name, his career benefited.
Nicki Minaj – Onika Maraj
Nicki succumbed to the pressure of changing her name when she first started out in Hollywood.
Given her R-rated lyrics, it’s no surprise that the rapper used the French saying “ménage à trois” and her last name Maraj to form Minaj.
Kat Dennings – Katherine Litwack
The 2 Broke Girls actress has always been known as Kat Dennings ever since her career started.
While the actress never confirmed why she changed her last name, it could have something to do with her parents disapproving of her acting career.
Charlie Sheen – Carlos Estévez
The former Two and a Half Men star disappointed his father when he changed his name from Carlos Estévez to Charlie Sheen.
But when he starred in Machete Kills , he decided to bring back Carlos Estevez in the title credits of the movie.
Bon Jovi – John Francis Bongiovi
The rocker may have been still living on a prayer had it not been for his name change.
It was PolyGram record executive Derek Shulam who came up with “Bon Jovi.” This helped cement John into a rockstar.
Joaquin Phoenix – Bottom
In case you didn’t know, the Joker actor grew up in a cult called the Children of God cult.
After they left the cult, they decided to take on the name Phoenix while settling in California, leaving their surname “Bottom” behind.
John Legend – John Stephens
This legendary singer started going by “Legend” after earning the nickname at the University of Pennsylvania.
It’s clearly a powerful name. When John’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, was asked why she didn’t take his last name, she hilariously replied , “My husband didn’t even take his last name.”
Andrew Lincoln – Clutterbuck
The Walking Dead actor adopted the stage name Andrew Lincoln while he was studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
But his friends and family call him Andrew Clutterbuck. “Everything in my life is Clutterbuck. So I can fly under the radar,” he told Scotsman .
Jon Stewart – Leibowitz
When the comedian entered Hollywood, he wanted a name that would be easy to remember and pronounce. Enter: his middle name.
It’s also been implied that he dropped his last name due to his strained relationship with his father.
Tim Allen – Timothy Dick
After being teased and bullied over the years about his last name, the actor finally decided to do something about it.
The only good thing about the torment is that it turned him to humor as a coping mechanism.
Cardi B – Belcalis Almanzar
The rapper’s stage name was inspired by Bacardi rum.
“My sister’s name is Hennessy,” Cardi B explained to Jimmy Fallon. “So everybody used to call me Bacardi, so I used to call myself Bacardi [and eventually] I just shortened it to Cardi B.”
Julianne Moore – Julie Smith
The actress made a name change after discovering Hollywood already had a Julie Smith.
“There was already a Julie Smith, a Julie Anne Smith, there was everything,” she told The New York Times . “My father’s middle name is Moore; my mother’s name is Anne.”
Katy Perry – Katheryn Hudson
Katy had a similar experience to Julianne.
With there already being a Kate Hudson in Hollywood, Katy made the smart choice of choosing a stage name.
She even named her late cat Kitty Perry!
Stan Lee – Lieber
The comic book artist known for his Marvel work changed his name from Stan Lieber to Stan Lee for “ journalistic purposes .”
He showcased his name for the first time in the comic, Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge .
Jonah Hill – Jonah Feldstein
People were in shock to discover that Booksmart’s Beanie Feldstein is Jonah’s sister.
They look alike and are super close, but they don’t share the same last name. Clearly, Jonah dropped “Feldstein” before making it big.
Natalie Portman – Neta-Lee Hershlag
Natalie Portman sure has a ring to it, but it’s not the real deal.
She adopted her paternal grandfather’s maiden name, Portman, as a way to protect her identity as a child actress. Smart move!
Blake Lively – Brown
The Gossip Girl actress hasn’t always been known as a Lively. She was named Blake Brown after her father, Earnie Brown.
But when Earnie met Blake’s mother, Elaine Lively, he decided to take her last name at marriage.