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Astage name orprofessional name is apseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called anom de plume (pen name). Some performers eventually choose to adopt their stage name as alegal name.
Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and may be similar or nearly identical to an individual's birth name or be inspired bynicknames ormaiden names. Some people take a stage name because their birth name is difficult to pronounce or spell; is considered unattractive, dull, or unintentionally amusing; or projects an undesired image. Sometimes a performer adopts a name that is unusual or outlandish to attract attention. Some individuals use a stage name because their birth name is already being used by another notable individual, including names that are not exactly the same but still too similar; many guilds and associations that represent actors mandate that no two members may have identical working names. Other performers use a stage name in order to retain anonymity, as is often the case forporn stars, especially if they intend on switching careers.[1][2] The phrasenom de porn is sometimes used to refer to a pornographic actor's stage name,[3][4][5] referring to the English use of the French-language phrase for pen name.
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Some individuals who are related to a celebrity take a different last name, so they are not perceived to have receivedundue advantage from their family connection. ActorNicolas Cage, born Nicolas Coppola, chose a new last name to avoid comparisons with his uncle, directorFrancis Ford Coppola, who gave him his big break in the 1982 filmFast Times at Ridgemont High.[6]
Conversely, individuals who wish to receive benefits from their family connections may take that person's first or last name.Lon Chaney Sr.'s son Creighton spent a number of years appearing in minor roles before renaming himselfLon Chaney Jr. Likewise,Emilio Estevez and his sisterRenee chose not to take their fatherMartin Sheen's professional name and use their birth names. Their brother Carlos chose to use their father's professional name and took the nameCharlie Sheen. Some children born outside marriage to a (usually male) celebrity parent have done the same:Jett Williams (née Antha Bell Jett) andScott Eastwood (né Scott Clinton Reeves) each use their fathers' last names; while others have not:Joseph Baena, son ofArnold Schwarzenegger, chose not to use his father's last name.[7][8]
Women who achieve fame after marriage often use their married name as part of their professional name, while women who achieved fame before marriage may continue to use their maiden name or ahyphenated surname.
In some cases, the individual may adopt a stage name to avoid confusion with other family members who have similar names. ActorMark Harmon (Thomas Mark Harmon) uses his middle name professionally to avoid confusion with his fatherHeisman Trophy winner and former broadcasterTom Harmon (Thomas Dudley Harmon).
Stephen Nice, the birth name of the lead singer ofSteve Harley and Cockney Rebel, took on the stage nameSteve Harley after realising that his on stage persona differed greatly from his real-life persona, and as a result feeling that he was no longer "Ronald and Joyce's (Harley's parents) little boy" when on stage.[9]
Comedian Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz adopted the stage nameDanny Thomas, largely because he did not want his friends and family to know he had gone back into working clubs where the salary was better.[10]
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Guilds and associations that represent actors, such as theSAG-AFTRA (formed from a 2012 merger between theScreen Actors Guild and theAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists) in theUnited States andEquity in theUnited Kingdom, stipulate that no two members may have identical working names. An actor whose name has already been taken must choose a new name. SAG-AFTRA allows any new member to keep their legal name as their stage name, even if another member has the same stage name already, as long as they sign a waiver.[11]
Notable examples include:Nathan Lane, whose birth name (Joseph Lane) was already in use;Stewart Granger, born James Stewart; andMichael Keaton, born Michael Douglas.Diane Keaton, whose birth name is Diane Hall, took her mother's maiden name as a stage name after learning that there was already a registered actress named Diane Hall in theActors' Equity Association.Ugly Betty actressVanessa Williams officially uses "Vanessa L. Williams" because of SAG guidelines, although the other actress with same first and last name (Vanessa E. Williams) is arguably less notable. Similarly,David Walliams changed one letter in his surname owing to there being another "David Williams".Terry O'Quinn ofLost fame changed his surname from Quinn to O'Quinn as another registered actor already had the name Terrance Quinn. Long-timeSimpsons writer andFuturama executive producerDavid X. Cohen changed his middle initial from S to X because there was already a David S. Cohen registered with the Writers Guild of America.Julianne Moore was born Julie Anne Smith but found that all variations of that name were already used by other actors. Former American football playerThomas Q. Jones added his middle initial to his name when he began acting, as his name was already taken.[12]
The rumor that Michael Keaton changed his surname because of an attraction to actressDiane Keaton is incorrect;[13] he chose Keaton because of an affinity for thephysical comedy ofBuster Keaton.[14]
A middle name may be adopted in preference to changing a name. American authorJames Finn Garner, born James Edward Garner, adopted his mother's maiden name for a middle name after joining the SAG, to avoid confusion withJames Garner, and retained the name for his writing career. In some cases, attaching agenerational suffix is sufficient for guild rules; broadcasterDavid Lawrence is credited as David H. Lawrence XVII as a result of there being sixteen other David Lawrences in show business at the time he received his SAG card.
A person hoping to become successful as anentertainer who has a name identical to a name already familiar to the public (in any field of endeavor) may change their name in order to avoid having their name evoke the other person with the same name. SingerKaty Perry, born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, released herself-titled album under the name Katy Hudson, but later used her mother's maiden name to avoid confusion with actressKate Hudson.[15]
A performer may also have had their stage name chosen for them by their agent – such was the case withBarbara Eden, born Barbara Jean Morehead (later known as Barbara Huffman)[16] – or, in the heyday of the Hollywood studios, by a movie studio.
Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky) went one step further and named herself after a former agent, Tony Rivers, after he told her to change her name.[citation needed]
In the non-English-speaking world, an example is the TaiwaneseMandopop girl groupS.H.E (composed ofSelina Jen,Hebe Tian, andElla Chen), whose members' English names were chosen by their manager after takingpersonality tests.
Former child starPatty Duke (whose real name is Anna Marie Duke) had her stage name chosen for her by her first managers. Their choice of the name "Patty" was inspired by another child actress namedPatty McCormack.[17]
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alexander [or Alec] Leach) had his name selected for him byParamount Pictures. He had been using the name "Cary Lockwood", but the studio decided against it, deeming it too similar to another actor working at the time. Cary and the studio eventually settled on "Cary Grant" (Grant thought the letters "C" and "G" to be lucky: they had brought previous success for bothClark Gable andGary Cooper).
Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, had her name changed as a result of a magazine poll organised by her studio,MGM.
Gorden Kaye (born Gordon Kaye) had one letter in his first name changed owing to a spelling error by theBritish Actors' Equity Association; he preferred the mistake over his original name.[citation needed]
Maribel Guardia (born Maribel Fernandez Garcia) had her last name changed not only because was there anactress of the same first and last names, but also because "Maribel Garcia" had 13 letters; she changed the spelling of her mother's maiden name, adding a "u" and changing the "c" to a "d" in the process.
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In the past, a stage name was often used when a performer's real name was considered to denote a specific ethnicity that faced potential discrimination. In other cases, actors have reinvented themselves with a more ethnic identity, when that gave them an advantage in playing "ethnic" roles.[18]
Steven Tyler ofAerosmith changed his name from Steven Victor Tallarico "for more promotional appeal".[19]
Historically,Jews inHollywood were encouraged toanglicize their names to avoid possible discrimination. Examples of such name changes areDanny Kaye andMel Brooks, both of whom were born with the surname Kaminsky, the original two lineups ofThe Three Stooges (born Moses Horwitz, Jerome Horwitz, Samuel Horwitz and Louis Feinberg) andWoody Allen (born Allan Konigsberg).[citation needed]Jon Stewart claims that he did not anglicize his name for career reasons, but because of his estranged relationship with his father.[20] Israeli-AmericanNatalie Portman, (born Natalie Hershlag), changed her name allegedly to protect her privacy.[21] James Goldman, retired television anchorman, has stated that he chose the nameJim Gardner because of the thought that there were too many people with Jewish last names on staff.[22]
Ramón Estévez changed his name toMartin Sheen as he felt it affected his job prospects owing to racial discrimination and bias, although he maintains his birth name for legal documents such as his passport;[23] his sons made divergent choices: Carlos Irwin Estévez is nowCharlie Sheen, whileEmilio Estevez left his name unchanged. German-born actor Hans Gudegast adopted the stage name ofEric Braeden.
ActorsAnthony Quinn andAnne Bancroft were advised to anglicize their names because 'Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca' and 'Anna Maria Louisa Italiano', respectively, were considered too 'ethnic' for Hollywood and Broadway at the time.Eydie Gorme (born Edith Garmezano),Sophia Loren (born Sofia Villani Scicolone),Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky), andRita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino), are four more well-known examples of this trend.
BroadcasterDave Roberts was born David T. Boreanaz but was known professionally as Dave Thomas and later Dave Roberts as ethnic surnames were discouraged when he first began his career during the 1950s; his son, actorDavid Boreanaz, chose not to adopt a stage name.[24]
The use of stage names for ethnic purposes may vary widely depending on themedia market the personality is representing. For example, inBuffalo, New York, a city with a largePolish-American population, Polish-American media personalities typically work freely using their birth names.
Sicilian-American actor Espera Oscar de Corti, who built his film career portrayingNative Americans, reinvented himself asIron Eyes Cody.[18] He not only took his stage name as his legal name but eventually beganinsisting that he actually was Native American.[18]
ActressBernadette Peters (born Bernadette Lazzara) was encouraged as a child actress to use her father's first name, Peter as her last name by her mother to avoid being type-cast in Italian roles.
Chloe Bennet had used her birth name, Chloe Wang, for her singing career in China, along with a short-livedTeenNick music series. She started using the surname Bennet, after her father's first name, when she failed to be welcomed byHollywood agents.[25][26] In reverse, Nichole Bloom, an actress with mixed Japanese-Irish parentage, changed her stage name to her birth name ofNichole Sakura in the wake of thesummer of 2020, to honor her Japanese heritage; she had originally used Bloom, an English equivalent to Sakura (meaningcherry blossom) out of a fear of typecasting.[27]
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Another consideration in choosing a stage name is the ease of use. TheActors' Equity Association (AEA) advises performers to select a name that is easy for others to pronounce, spell, and remember. Some performers, while paying great attention to their skills and abilities, give little thought to the difference that a well-thought-out name can make to their career. Often a person or group decides on a different name only after they realize that a poorly chosen name gives a bad impression.
ActorMichael Caine was born Maurice Micklewhite and chose his new first name because he preferred the sound of it to the less glamorous-sounding "Maurice".[citation needed] He reputedly chose the surname "Caine" because, while deciding on a new surname, he looked across the street and saw a cinema advertising the filmThe Caine Mutiny. He later joked that he would be called "MichaelThe One Hundred and One Dalmatians" if he had looked in the other direction.[28]
ActorPete Postlethwaite was advised to change his surname by peers who quipped that it "would never be putup in lights outside theaters because they couldn't afford the electricity", but he decided to keep it.[29]
In a similar situation,Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff) was told by a bandleader that her name would never fit on the marquee, and she thus took the surname "Day" because the song "Day By Day" had become one of her signature tracks.[citation needed]
The 19th century stage magician andcontortionist who performed under the Chinese stage nameChing Lau Lauro did so to support his stage image. Believed to be fromCornwall, England, he may have been the first European magician to dress in Chinese costume on stage.[30]
Commonly in the music world, especially those ofheavy metal,punk rock,industrial, andhip hop, musicians will rename themselves with names more menacing or striking than their birth names. Every member of the punk bandRamones took the pseudonymous "Ramone" surname as part of their collective stage persona. Members of New Zealand art-rock bandSplit Enz all took their middle names as stage names, so as to keep their private image separate from their public personae.
Other performers may assume stage names as a means of distancing themselves from publicly known childhood names that could be considered professionally embarrassing, outlandish, or otherwise inappropriate. Film directorDuncan Jones (son of singerDavid Bowie) was known publicly as a child as Zowie Bowie.
Rappers are known to use stage names, such asJay-Z (Shawn Carter),50 Cent (Curtis Jackson),Diddy (Sean Combs),Young Thug (Jeffery Williams),Ludacris (Chris Bridges),Lil Wayne (Dwayne Carter Jr.), andSoulja Boy (DeAndre Way). At times, these artists will use their real names to make some of their material seem more authentic or personal.Eminem (Marshall Mathers) took his stage name from the pronunciation of his initials (M and M), and later used his real name at various public events and as analter ego after his real name gained recognition following the release of his multi-platinum albumThe Marshall Mathers LP.LL Cool J (James Todd Smith) referenced his real name on the albumsMr. Smith andTodd Smith.Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) releasedThe Dana Owens Album after changing her focus from hip-hop to jazz.Xzibit (Alvin Joiner) has also been credited by his real name when acting in several television shows.
Some performers and artists may choose to simplify their name to make it easier to spell and pronounce, and easier for others to remember. For instance,Fall Out Boy vocalist and guitaristPatrick Stump removed the "h" from his original surname, Stumph. It was still pronounced "stump", but the change ensured his audience would not think to pronounce it "stumf". SingerJason Derulo (known for announcing his name in many of the introductions of his songs) uses the phonetic spelling of his given name, Jason Desrouleaux. Australian actressYvonne Strahovski adopted a phonetic spelling of her Polish surname, Strzechowski, as her stage name upon moving to the United States. American stand-up comedianLouis C.K. adopted his stage name from the phonetic spelling of his Hungarian surname, Székely.
Andy Warhol dropped an "a" from his original name, Warhola, while couturierYves Mathieu-Saint-Laurent dropped the first of his two surnames. Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Piero Filiberto Guglielmi adopted the stage nameRudolph Valentino in part because American casting directors found his original surname difficult to pronounce. SingerGeorge Michael (the son of a Greek Cypriot restaurateur in North London) was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou.
Some surnames may carry unfortunate connotations.Hal Linden, born Harold Lipshitz, adopted his stage name for fear that the embedded obscenity in his original surname could cost him work.Ralph Lauren's brother (who was his guardian) changed their family name from Lifshitz for a similar reason: fear of mockery.Duran Duran'sNick Rhodes, born Nicholas James Bates, changed his name to escape childhood ridicule (as a child, children would often tease him by calling him "Master Bates"); he adopted the surname "Rhodes" after thekeyboardmanufacturer of the same name.Diana Dors was born Diana Fluck (one letter away froma profanity); this prompted her to change her name to a more benign one in order to avoid an accidental obscenity (which could have been exacerbated by her status as asex symbol).
Some types of music are more associated with stage names than others. For example,hip hop andEDM artists almost always use stage names, whereas "classical" composers and performers rarely do. Classical violinistAmadéus Leopold (born in South Korea as Yoo Hanbin) and opera singersBeverly Sills (born Belle Miriam Silverman),Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell) andJennifer Toye (born Jennifer Gay Bishop) are exceptions.
Some Algerian raï musicians use the prefixCheb (for men) or Chaba (Chebba) for women. BothArabic words mean "young" (e.g. as inCheb Khaled, or "Young Khaled").
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin was born John Baldwin, which he used as a stage name.. He later legally changed it to John Paul Jones.
Some performers take a series of different stage names. The British pop singer who was successful in the 1970s asAlvin Stardust previously went by the stage name ofShane Fenton in the 1960s. He had been bornBernard William Jewry. Some performers will use different names in different settings. Charles Thompson, singer-songwriter for the alternative band thePixies, was known in that band asBlack Francis. He was calledFrank Black as a solo performer and again calledBlack Francis in a reunited Pixies.
Unlike Hollywood stage names, many musical artists' stage names are obviously not personal names, but they may still end up universally used to refer to the performer, such asLady Gaga. At times the line may be blurred between the name of an act and the stage name of the lead.
Many performers refer to their stage name as their "professional name". For instance David Jones becameDavid Bowie in order to avoid confusion withDavy Jones ofthe Monkees but retained Jones as his legal name.[31] In some cases, performers subsequently adopt their stage name as their legal name. For instance, the former Robert Allen Zimmerman's legal name has been Robert Dylan (Bob Dylan) since he changed it inNew York CitySupreme Court in August 1962.[citation needed]Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight but changed his name bydeed poll, making Elton Hercules John his real name. When he wasknighted, he became Sir Elton Hercules John rather than Sir Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Similarly,Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara, but legally changed his name concurrently with the formation ofQueen.[32]Elvis Costello (born Declan MacManus), who had adopted his professional name as a legal name, changed it back to his birth name in 1986. Another example is Marvin Lee Aday, known by his stage nameMeat Loaf.[citation needed] In a similar way, actress and singerMiley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus but found "Miley" more comfortable, making it her legal name.[citation needed]
Entire musical groups have been known to adopt a common stagesurname, the most notable arguably being theRamones. Recent examples includeThe Donnas,Those Darlins,Los Campesinos! andWeen.
"My dad is old-school," Joseph Schwarzenegger said about Arnold Schwarzenegger