# Identical names of famous people **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717 "2009-07-21T04:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/81 "2009-07-22T12:12:23Z")
Larry King, TV show host Larry King , playwright ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/82 "2009-07-22T12:27:44Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > There was an actor by the name of Henry Morgan, and a comedian/actor named Henry Morgan. One of them changed his name to Harry Morgan (later of Dragnet and M_A_S\*H) and the other went on to game show glory with shows like I’ve Got a Secret. Useless trivia: they both appeared in M_A_S\*H. Henry as Father Mulcahy in the film version, and Harry (more famously) as Col. Potter in the TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/83 "2009-07-22T12:31:18Z")
Claudio Sanchez, lead singer for Coheed and Cambria. Claudio Sanchez, reporter for NPR. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/84 "2009-07-22T13:54:33Z")
I read this book by [Leonard S. Bernstein](http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Snobbery-Leonard-Bernstein/dp/0688016057). He wrote that the first thing he learned as a wine critic in New York is that you never make a reservation in the name of Leonard Bernstein, even if your name is Leonard Bernstein, because when you get there you discover you are not the Leonard Bernstein they were expecting when they took the reservation. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/85 "2009-07-22T14:48:50Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Useless trivia: they both appeared in M_A_S\*H. Henry as Father Mulcahy in the film version, and Harry (more famously) as Col. Potter in the TV series. Rene Auberjonois played Father Mulcahy in the firm. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/86 "2009-07-22T14:57:20Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > There was an actor by the name of Henry Morgan, and a comedian/actor named Henry Morgan. One of them changed his name to Harry Morgan (later of Dragnet and M_A_S\*H) and the other went on to game show glory with shows like I’ve Got a Secret. And they both had a little Captain in them. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/87 "2009-07-23T02:47:50Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I was just reminded of another one. David Bowie’s real name is David Hayward-Jones. He performed for a time as Davie Jones (and briefly, as Davy Jones). He changed it so as not to be confused with Davy Jones of the Monkees. That reminds me of the old Urban Legend that David Bowie did start out as The Monkees’ Davy Jones. I remember hearing that back in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/88 "2009-07-23T12:28:02Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Rene Auberjonois played Father Mulcahy in the firm. I stand corrected. (And I should have known that!) Then I said to myself, that’s right, Henry Morgan was Father Mulcahy not in the film, but in the pilot episode of the series, before William Christopher took over the role. But when I went to imdb to check it out (as I should have done in the first place), I discovered it wasn’t Henry Morgan at all, but _George_ Morgan. So just forget I was ever in this thread. Nothing to see here. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for. Move along. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/89 "2009-07-23T13:19:57Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Jack Johnson, boxer > Jack Johnson, auto racer. And Jack Johnson, singer. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/90 "2009-07-23T14:22:34Z")
Jim Garrison - JFK assassination investigator Jimmy Garrison - jazz bassist ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/91 "2009-07-23T14:37:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Jane Seymour, actress > Jane Seymour, wife of King Henry VIII Another false coincidence. The actress’s real name is Joyce Frankenberg. She intentionally chose the Queen’s name as her stage name. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/92 "2009-07-23T14:41:40Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s interesting is that stateman Churchill wrote to novelist Churchill before the former became famous, simply because they shared the same name. But now hardlay anyone remembers the novelist. Many that do (like me) only know of him vecause of the name. And the American Churchill was not an obscure figure. He was the equivalent of Tom Clancy in his era. A hundred years ago if you mentioned Winston Churchill, most people would have assumed you were talking about the novelist. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/93 "2009-07-23T18:34:01Z")
Matthew Perry, Commodore who opened Japan Matthew Perry, Chandler from ‘Friends’ ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/94 "2009-07-23T20:14:00Z")
Howard Stern - DJ/King of All Media Howard K Stern - lawyer/confidant of the late Anna Nicole Smith ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/95 "2009-07-23T20:15:06Z")
Add a third (though much less known) Randy Jackson, guitarist/singer with the band Zebra. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/96 "2009-07-23T20:17:12Z")
Author Frank McCourt (_Angela’s Ashes_) died this week. [Frank McCourt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_McCourt_(executive))is also the name of a real estate mogul who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers; I wonder if he’s gotten flowers sent to his home (possibly by people surprised to learn he grew up in poverty in Limerick). The reason author Fannie Flagg changed to her stage name was because her real name is [Patricia Neal](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0623658/). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/97 "2009-07-24T04:14:00Z")
Lots of [Jim Thompsons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thompson) out there. Including [Thailand’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thompson_(designer)). There’s also John Garfield the president and [John Garfield](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002092/) the actor. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/98 "2009-07-24T15:58:39Z")
It’s a good thing both mystery writers named Mary Clark use a middle name, or things would get awfully confusing [Mary Higgins Clark](http://www.maryhigginsclark.com) [Mary Jane Clark](http://www.maryjaneclark.com/) ---
**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:** [July 24, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/99 "2009-07-24T16:02:10Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > It’s a good thing both mystery writers named Mary Clark use a middle name, or things would get awfully confusing > > [Mary Higgins Clark](http://www.maryhigginsclark.com) > [Mary Jane Clark](http://www.maryjaneclark.com/) Mary Jane is the daughter-in-law of Mary Higgins. ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/100 "2009-07-24T22:02:05Z")
Jim Morrison, singer (The Doors) James Morrison, singer (“You give me something”) ETA: Anne Hathaway was the first that popped to mind when I saw the thread title, but **Captain Klutz** beat me to posting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717.md?page=6)