7 famous actors who changed their real names to pseudonyms

Some Hollywood stars have become known by stage names. And who are these actors and what names are indicated in their birth certificates, will learn from this article.

7 PHOTOS

7. Vin Diesel

The real name of the Fast and the Furious star is Mark Sinclair. He made the decision to take the alias Vin Diesel while working as a security guard at a New York nightclub because he wanted a tougher name. Vin comes from his mother's last name, Vincent, and was called Diesel by his friends because he was always energetic.

This is undoubtedly the most appropriate pseudonym for the star of the most successful automotive movie franchise of all time, since "diesel" is directly related to engines. The name Vin Diesel does sound tough, which makes him the perfect action star.

6. Michael Caine

Kane's birth certificate lists his name as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. He decided to change it after he saw the poster for Humphrey Bogart's movie "The Kane Mutiny". But this was not the actor's first choice, as he initially took a pseudonym - Michael Scott. However, it soon became clear that another actor had already used the name.

The short name definitely suits the famous veteran actor a lot more. Interestingly, he did not legally change his name until 2017. Tired of being interrogated by airport security, he nevertheless decided to replace his real name in his passport with a pseudonym.

5. Jamie Foxx

Fox's original name was Eric Marlon Bishop. He chose a different name to better establish himself in the stand-up comedy genre. His pseudonym is a tribute to the legendary comedian Red Fox.

4. Nicolas Cage

Cage's early name was Nicolas Kim Coppola. He decided to adopt a pseudonym so as not to be associated with his famous uncle Francis Ford Coppola.

Coppola's name is closely associated with the legendary Godfather trilogy, so Cage's choice seems justified. He would probably have to live in the shadow of his uncle. Thanks to the last name change, most people still don't know that the '90s action movie star is related to one of the best directors of all time.

3. Ben Kingsley

Kingsley's father was from India, so at birth, he was named Krishna Bhanji. Early in his Hollywood career, he decided to adopt a pseudonym due to fears that his real name would deprive him of his chances of becoming a star.

Kingsley's fears made sense when he started in the 70s, as there were few Hollywood stars of Indian origin at the time. Today there are a large number of high-quality actors from South Asia such as Kumail Nanjiani, Aziz Ansari, and Priyanka Chopra.

2. Michael Keaton

"Keaton" is a random word that the actor came up with. At first, he wanted to work under his real name - Michael Douglas. However, the famous Michael Douglas was already in Hollywood, so the actor had to choose a different pseudonym.

There have been instances in history where celebrities shared the same name, such as Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan. However, most celebrities with similar names do not work in the same industry. Therefore, Keaton's concern was justified, since the debate about which Michael Douglas is better could last forever.

1. Cary Grant

Grant is listed by AFI as one of the best actors of all time. However, his original name was Archibald Alec Leach. Apparently, Paramount Executives felt that Archie Leach was not a cool enough name when they signed the actor.

Although Grant's name was forced on the Lich, it wasn't bad, so he accepted it legally.