# Do actors/musicians use their stage names in everyday life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771 "2006-05-22T16:16:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/1 "2006-05-22T16:16:52Z")
Whoopi Goldberg was born “Caryn Elaine Johnson”. Do her friends call her “Whoopi”, or Caryn? When she buys a car, and the salesman calls her Whoopi, does she say “Sorry, my name is Caryn”? What about Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers? And then you have the Black Eyed Peas, with stage name of “will.i.am”, “Apl.de.dap”, and “Taboo”. I can’t believe they use those in everyday life, yet articles and stories about them do. This may be a bit of a stupid question (“Of course they don’t, you moron!”) but some celebrities have become so well-known by their normal-sounding stage names that it’s hard to imagine them going by something else. Ah, I remember who originally made me think of this question: Marilyn Monroe. Her real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. What did she go by, in private? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/2 "2006-05-22T16:34:05Z")
Some do, some don’t. Some adopt their stage names legally and use them all the time. Some have their older friends call them by their old names. Some use a nickname offstage around their friends. Basically, every possible combination of choices is used and people can give specific examples of any one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/3 "2006-05-22T16:52:03Z")
I’d go with the “some do, some don’t” or “it depends” vote. It’s particularly interesting when people like Kirk Douglas (whose real name is listed as several variations of Demsky or Danielovitch, with Isseur being the given name part) have offspring who get famous themselves. In his case, I suspect he’d go the name-change route. That brings up the issue of what Michael’s real name would be. IMDB lists his birthname as Michael Kirk Douglas, suggesting that Kirk did the legal name-change thing. Does Cher go by Sarkisian or LaPierre as a last name? Let’s don’t even get into Prince! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/4 "2006-05-22T17:04:12Z")
Lauren Bacall’s friends (both of them . . .) call her “Betty.” Jean Harlow’s friends called her “Harlean.” Some of Joan Crawford’s older friends called her “Billie.” That’s just off the top of my head; I’m sure there’s tons mope. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/5 "2006-05-22T17:30:46Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > That’s just off the top of my head; I’m sure there’s tons mope. Tons Mope is what they called Marlon Brando shortly before he died. 😃 George Burns was called by his birth name Nathan by his old friends. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/6 "2006-05-22T23:33:07Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Let’s don’t even get into Prince! 😃 In 2004, he voted in Minnesota under the name “Prince R. Nelson”. So he’s still using that, his given birth name, for legal stuff like voting. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/7 "2006-05-23T00:21:56Z")
The one that I always amuses me is when someone has to take a certain form of their name because there’s already an actor with the simpler. Like Michael J. Fox couldn’t just be Michael Fox or Mike Fox, by rule. But to his friends, he’s probably just Mike. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/8 "2006-05-23T00:55:44Z")
Or Stewart Granger, who could not use his real name - James Stewart. He was apparently “Jimmy” to his friends. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/9 "2006-05-23T01:01:50Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > In 2004, he voted in Minnesota under the name “Prince R. Nelson”. So he’s still using that, his given birth name, for legal stuff like voting. I remember that the judge at his court case (against Sony?) got fed up with this “The Artist” bit and insisted that everyone use Prince’s legal name. I think he became “Mr. Nelson” for the purposes of the trial. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/10 "2006-05-23T02:47:09Z")
[The Edge Still Introducing Self as Such](http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33053) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/11 "2006-05-23T03:22:19Z")
For an interesting example, take Martin ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/12 "2006-05-23T03:23:48Z")
Oops, hit “enter” by accident. Anyway, for an interesting example, take Martin Sheen, whose real name is Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez. One of his sons, Carlos Irwin Estévez is better known as Charlie Sheen, and another one is Emilio Estévez. ---
**Author:** ![RCGDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@RCGDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RCGDC)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/13 "2006-05-23T04:59:23Z")
I think a good question at this point is do these people actually “legally” change their names or is it just a name they use in everyday life without ever changing it legally. George Burns BTW was called Nattie by his friends, I just finished a book by him. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/14 "2006-05-23T05:09:34Z")
John Denver’s real last name was Deutschendorf. People who knew him before he was famous always called him “Dutch,” for short. Iggy Pop’s real names is James Osterberg, and friends like David Bowie just call him Jim. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/15 "2006-05-23T12:37:54Z")
Bob Dylan changed his name, I think, otherwise, Jakob’s using his stage name as well. A minor one is that Keith Richard **s** ’ real name was _Richard_, but he changed it, IIRC. Bill Wyman legally changed his name, too, from Perks. Gene Simmons was originally Chaim Witz, then Gene Klein, then Gene Simmons, and I’m pretty sure it’s legally that now. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/16 "2006-05-23T13:39:18Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > The one that I always amuses me is when someone has to take a certain form of their name because there’s already an actor with the simpler. Like Michael J. Fox couldn’t just be Michael Fox or Mike Fox, by rule. But to his friends, he’s probably just Mike. And I think his birth name was Michael _A._ Fox. Funny. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/17 "2006-05-23T17:55:18Z")
I read an article a while back about how Marilyn Manson requests that everyone call him “Marilyn Manson,” including his parents. His dad does, but his mom couldn’t quite bring herself to do the “Marilyn” and just calls him “Manson.” The judge, on the other hand, called him “[Mr. Warner](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/mansonplea1.html).” ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/18 "2006-05-23T18:43:03Z")
I’m pretty sure Ringo Starr’s wife (_not_ Daisy Duke!) calls him Richard, as do most of his friends. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/19 "2006-05-23T19:07:39Z")
Sting (_nee_ Gordon Sumner) is apparently called “Sting” by everyone, including his mother. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/20 "2006-05-23T19:28:48Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Sting (_nee_ Gordon Sumner) is apparently called “Sting” by everyone, including his mother. Last I heard, Gordon Sumner was still his legal name, though, which appeared on his credit card, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771.md?page=2)