16 celebrities who changed their names before fame
Freddie Mercury. (Steve Jennings/WireImage)
Image: Steve Jennings/WireImage
From Stefani to Gaga, these are celebrities who changed their names before the spotlight hit.
Martin Sheen anglicised Ramón Estévez for his career
Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez, then became known professionally as Martin Sheen. He played Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now (1979), and later played President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing (1999–2006). The professional name became the one most closely tied to his most famous roles.
Miley Cyrus made a nickname her legal name
Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, then legally changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2008. She starred as the title character in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana (2006–2011). Cyrus has publicly identified as pansexual and has been a visible LGBTQ+ advocate.
Elton John left Reginald Dwight in the past
Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, then legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John in 1972. His status as a pop institution is stamped by his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Elton remains a defining gay icon and LGBTQ+ advocate.
Natalie Portman kept it simple, losing Hershlag
Natalie Portman was born Natalie Hershlag, then stepped into the spotlight under the name the world now knows. She made her film debut in Léon: The Professional (1994), and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Black Swan (2010). The streamlined surname became part of her on-screen mystique.
Winona Ryder shortened Horowitz for the poster
Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz, but Ryder became the name on the poster. She starred in Beetlejuice (1988), then brought a different kind of intensity as Joyce Byers in Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016–present). The sharper surname helped create a clean, memorable screen identity.
David Bowie swapped David Jones for reinvention
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones, then adopted the name that would define an era of pop reinvention. He released the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972, and played Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986). Few stage names feel as closely tied to artistic transformation as Bowie.
Diane Keaton picked Keaton when Hall was taken
Diane Keaton was born Diane Hall, and adopted the surname Keaton, her mother’s maiden name, because another actor was already registered as Diane Hall. The choice stuck, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall (1977). Keaton sadly died in 2025.
Freddie Mercury reintroduced Farrokh Bulsara to the world
Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara, and became the lead singer of Queen under the name the world remembers. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was released in 1975, and Mercury’s legacy remains central to LGBTQ+ cultural history. The name Freddie Mercury is now inseparable from stadium-scale rock performance.
Lady Gaga started out as Stefani Germanotta
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, long before the world met Gaga. She released her debut studio album The Fame in 2008, then starred as Ally in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. Gaga has also founded the Born This Way Foundation.
Katy Perry stepped away from Katheryn Hudson
Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, and even released a Christian music album as Katy Hudson in 2001. Her breakthrough pop single I Kissed a Girl landed in 2008, becoming a major pop-culture flashpoint in LGBTQ+ conversations about representation. The name change helped separate her pop era from her earlier release.
Olivia Wilde chose a new surname for Hollywood
Olivia Wilde was born Olivia Jane Cockburn, then adopted the name Olivia Wilde for her career. She played Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley on House (2007–2012), and directed the film Booksmart (2019), which includes prominent queer teen representation. The new name helped her move between acting and directing with ease.
Rita Ora streamlined her full name for pop
Rita Ora was born Rita Sahatçiu Ora, and the streamlined version became her public identity. She released her debut studio album Ora in 2012, and played Mia Grey in the Fifty Shades film series (2015–2018). Ora has also performed at Pride events, linking her pop profile to LGBTQ+ audiences.
Demi Moore took a married name into movies
Demi Moore was born Demi Gene Guynes, and took the surname Moore after marrying musician Freddy Moore in 1980. The name became a fixture on cinema posters, including her starring role in Ghost (1990). It is a reminder that a “stage name” can also come from real-life milestones.
Jamie Foxx swapped Eric Bishop for a star name
Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop, then stepped forward under the name that fit his career. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying Ray Charles in Ray (2004), and later starred in Django Unchained (2012). The new name quickly became synonymous with both comedy and drama.
Bruno Mars turned Peter Hernandez into a brand
Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez, but the stage name stuck fast. His debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans arrived in 2010, and he later headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2014 and again in 2016 with Coldplay. The switch helped make his pop identity instantly memorable.
Whoopi Goldberg transformed Caryn Johnson for the stage
Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson, and her stage name soon became the one audiences knew best. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990), and has been a co-host on The View (ABC) since 2007. The name is now as recognisable as any role she has played.
