# Movie stars with funny names. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940 "2003-12-19T09:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![E.T.Bass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@E.T.Bass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.T.Bass)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/1 "2003-12-19T09:01:24Z")
Many movie/TV stars in the past and present have changed their names to “stage names” to increase their appeal and name recognition. A few have not. What stars today do you think have weird, silly or funny names? I know four, the first two I actually like: Billy CRUDUP- Crudup! Yuck! I mean I would hate to have this last name in school. CRUD-up. “Shut up, Crud up?” No agent has told this man that having a name that starts with “Crud” might be a career barrier? Of course, this dude is an up and coming actor, so it has not. Hillary SWANK- Swank! Love the actress. Hate her stupid last name. Sounds like a term for male masterbation, “Jimmy, quit SWANK-ing, you will go blind!” Her name sounds like a New Orleans stripper, “Come down everyone to see the Swanky Hill. Swank show off her two swanky ta-tas!” Hillary DUFF-What is a Duff? A beer from the Simpsons? Also rhymes with Puff, Fluff and Enough. Also sounds sexual “I would love to “duff” her from behind”. hee heeheehee. Andy DICK- The “Dick” thing we all know. Tim Allen’s real family name is also “Dick” but he changed it. Anymore annoying famous names? ET ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/2 "2003-12-19T09:12:17Z")
Marlon Brando. I’ve never heard of another Marlon or another family Brando. Although knowing the form on the Straight Dope I soon will. ---
**Author:** ![Reverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/3 "2003-12-19T09:17:42Z")
Milla Jovovich. I mean, Jovovich. It’s funny to say. Jovovich. … Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![E.T.Bass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@E.T.Bass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.T.Bass)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/4 "2003-12-19T11:03:56Z")
It’s me again, I forgot, Neve Campbell. How do you pronounce NEVE (Neeve, Nev, what?) ET ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/5 "2003-12-19T11:07:34Z")
Hugh Jackman. It sounds like a second rate porn star. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/6 "2003-12-19T11:14:58Z")
I believe it’s pronounced ‘CREW-dup,’ though I’m sure the schoolyard bullies couldn’t have cared less. ‘Neve’ rhymes with, um, okay ‘Nev’ (not ‘Eve’) ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/7 "2003-12-19T11:31:26Z")
Rip Torn ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/8 "2003-12-19T13:58:33Z")
Come on. Rip Torn is an awesome name! But I submit Brad Pitt. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/9 "2003-12-19T14:03:56Z")
Not all the old movie stars changed their weird names: Pearl White, Blanche Sweet, Helen Twelvetrees, ZaSu Pitts, House Peters . . . ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/10 "2003-12-19T14:08:02Z")
These guys aren’t movie stars, but they’re famous: Englebert Humperdink Dick Buttkis (sp?) ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/11 "2003-12-19T14:16:24Z")
Slim Pickens ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/12 "2003-12-19T14:55:12Z")
Sadly, Engelbert Humperdinck CHOSE that name - his real name is Jerry Dorsey. Conway Twitty is also a stage name, as are Slim Pickens and Rip Torn. I think it was JoAnn Pflug who was once asked if her name was a stage name, and she replied, “No, this is a name you change FROM, not TO.” ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/13 "2003-12-19T14:57:26Z")
I think Reese Witherspoon is a pretty weird name. It sounds overly wholesome, like a parody of a girl-next-door or something. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/14 "2003-12-19T15:18:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alias \* > \*\*I think Reese Witherspoon is a pretty weird name. It sounds overly wholesome, like a parody of a girl-next-door or something. \*\* That’s a pretty good description of her.😃 Treat Williams is the one I think is funny. What kind of a name is Treat? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/15 "2003-12-19T15:35:40Z")
Rock Hudson told the story that when his manager changed his name to “Rock Hudson” that “Rock” was the best of the three choices offered. The other two were “Click” and “Jump.” ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/16 "2003-12-19T15:38:56Z")
From _Will & Grace_ - though I’ve only every seen about two episodes, the actress is gorgeous, so I can’t forget about Debra Messing. Messing? It’s like making “to make a mess” a one-word adjective. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/17 "2003-12-19T15:39:49Z")
Stacy Keach. Just sounds weird to me. Especially considering “Stacy” is a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/18 "2003-12-19T16:39:50Z")
It’s not his real name, but I’ve always wondered what pursuaded Robert to change his first name to [Bobcat](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001281/) Goldthwait. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/19 "2003-12-19T16:45:34Z")
JM J. Bullock. Though these days I think he finally gave in to the inevitable and is using his real name “Jim.” Anybody know what’s behind the JM thing? ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/20 "2003-12-19T16:48:12Z")
Sigourney Weaver Wuh? “Sigourney”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940.md?page=2)