Imagine a classic movie poster. Maybe there is a handsome leading man, a glamorous heroine, and a distinguished-looking mystery man. Now, which sounds like a more appealing option: Seeing this movie starring Archibald Leach, Norma Jeane Mortenson, and Maurice Micklewhite, or watching Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, and Michael Caine? Spoiler alert — this is a trick question, of course. Archibald Leach became the dreamy Cary Grant because celebrities have a long tradition of adopting stage names that continues to this day.
There are lots of possible reasons why an artist or actor might want to change their name or adopt a stage name. Sometimes their original name is hard for global audiences to spell or pronounce. Sometimes their original name is already in use by another actor (Michael J. Fox had to add the "J" to his name for this very reason). Sometimes they may want to choose a name that sounds sleeker, sexier, or tougher.
We thought it would be fun to do a deep dive into the sometimes surprising history of why modern-day celebs changed or adapted their names and what inspired the new choice. From Pink and Lorde to Natalie Portman and Snoop Dogg, some of our favorite stars have chosen to use stage names, so read on to find out the hidden history.
Pink
We loved watching Pink evolve from a tough pop star to a rock star mama! But although many people may know her music, not everyone may know how she ended up being called Pink. She was born Alecia Beth Moore but has cheekily said that her name might have been inspired by something inappropriate related to the color of genitals. In other interviews, however, she's stated it came from the ultra-violent movie Reservoir Dogs, which features a character named Mr. Pink.
Albert Brooks
Sometimes celebrities don't really have a choice when it comes to using a stage name. This is definitely true for celebrities who have the misfortune to share their original name with someone else who is famous. In the case of comedian and actor Albert Brooks, he shared his original name with one of the most famous people who ever lived. Yep — Albert Brooks was born Albert Einstein!
Post Malone
For some celebrities, choosing a stage name is a matter of careful deliberation, a decision not to be made lightly. For rapper Post Malone, born Austin Richard Post, it was a lot more random than that. He simply made his last name his first name and used a random rap name generator to choose Malone. In his defense, he was only 14 at the time.
Whoopi Goldberg
We all know that Whoopi Goldberg is funny, which helps explain how she went from being called Caryn Elaine Johnson to the Whoopi we know and love. She has shared that she was inspired by Whoopee cushions because she had a tendency to be a little gassy. That's some very "If you can't beat em, join em" kind of energy there!
Mindy Kaling
One of the more depressing reasons some celebrities choose stage names is because they feel like their given names are too hard to pronounce or "too foreign" for people to pronounce. Mindy Kaling's given name is Vera Mindy Chokalingam, but she shortened it to the current version when people made fun of it or butchered the pronunciation.
Awkwafina
Sometimes a name is more than a name. For actress Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, her stage name represents an alter ego. She's said that Awkwafina represents someone who has more energy and confidence than Nora naturally had and was a way to pump herself up.
Spike Lee
No disrespect to anyone named Shelton, but the simple fact is that Shelton isn't exactly the coolest name. Spike, on the other hand, is clearly very cool. Spike Lee actually got his stage name from his mom. She thought he was a tough toddler and started calling him Spike as a nickname. It stuck, and he's been Spike Lee ever since.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman has shared that she opted for a stage name when she started her career as a child actress out of a desire to protect her family's privacy. Her original name was Natalie (or Neta-Lee — reports vary on that account) Hershlag.
Doja Cat
Rapper Doja Cat, otherwise known as Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, isn't ashamed to admit that her stage name comes from her love of a certain sometimes illicit substance. When she chose her name, she opted for one that referenced her pet cat and her favorite strand of weed at the time.
Brie Larson
Captain Marvel herself has a stage name that comes from a surprising place. She was born Brianne Desaulniers but shortened it to Brie and opted for the easier-to-pronounce Larson for her last name. We love that the inspiration for the last name came from her favorite American Girl doll.
Michael Keaton
Fans of actor Michael Keaton might have noticed that he uses the name Michael Keaton Douglas on social media. His original name is Michael Douglas but, as film fans know, there was already a pretty famous actor by the name of Michael Douglas. Keaton has said he chose the name at random from the "K" section of the phone book, though there are rumors that the name choice is actually a nod to a little crush he had on actress Diane Keaton.
Lil Nas X
Montero Lamar Hill is a perfectly fine, solid name, but does it have a rap vibe? Apparently not enough for the "Old Town Road" singer, who has said that he chose Lil because that was trendy among rappers at the time and that he just thought Nas X would be funny to add to it. Sometimes it just doesn't have to be that deep!
Sting
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner used to be a guy who really, really liked his sweaters. In particular, he liked a certain yellow and black sweater so much that one of his early bandmates started calling him Sting, just like the bumblebee he resembled a little too much.
Lorde
Appropriately enough for someone known for her song "Royal," the singer Lorde chose her stage name because she was fascinated by nobility and royal history. The name is a little faster to say than her original moniker: Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor.
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., who we know better as Snoop Dogg, is well known for loving rap music, smoking weed, and his friendship with Martha Stewart. It turns out that his original love was none other than the adorable cartoon dog Snoopy, which is where his stage name comes from.
