# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/41 "2003-12-20T03:33:16Z")
Like Uma Thurman - **Gwyneth Paltrow** - very attractive woman with a very strange name. And **ET Bass** , I love Ms Bullock too. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/42 "2003-12-20T03:38:08Z")
There was an actress in the 1970s by the name of “Joy Bang.” No, she was not a porno actress. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/43 "2003-12-20T03:45:32Z")
Doris Day’s real name was Doris Mary Ann Von Kapplehoff, and Stepin Fetchit’s was Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry. I thought this thread was about unusual _real_ names, not unusla _stage_ names! ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/44 "2003-12-20T04:18:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Not all the old movie stars changed their weird names: Pearl White, Blanche Sweet, Helen Twelvetrees, ZaSu Pitts, House Peters . . . \*\* You left out my favorite… **Nova Pilbeame**! Chris W ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/45 "2003-12-20T07:31:57Z")
What about [Yahoo Serious](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000635/)? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/46 "2003-12-20T07:33:54Z")
I doubt a non-porn actress would dare use “Constance Cummings” today. Which makes me think that years ago, it was probably a lot af fun to sneak things in under the radar, like the “Phil Hays Show.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/47 "2003-12-20T07:41:02Z")
Messing IS a word. You’ve never said “The wildebeeste is messing up my room?” **E.T. Bass** , “Duff” often means ass, as in “Get off your duff and help me deal with this wildebeeste!” Stellan Skarsgård is amusing to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/48 "2003-12-20T08:36:55Z")
Mimsy Farmer Khigh Dhiegh - pronounced to rhyme with “Heidi,” who was Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-0 and also from that show, Zulu, who later changed his name to Zoulou! ---
**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 20, 2003, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/49 "2003-12-20T08:44:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E.T. Bass \* > Speaking of Tom Cruise, that is a family name, but “cruise”? Put the car in cruise, cruise! Well, since he was born as Thomas Mapother IV, I understand why he changed his name. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Marley23_ > Stellan Skarsgård is amusing to me. But kudos to him for not changing his Swedish name, when going to Hollywood, ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/50 "2003-12-20T08:45:11Z")
Well then **Ellis** we mustn’t forget: **Kam Fong as Chin Ho** ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_Pittiful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@Brad\_Pittiful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_Pittiful)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/51 "2003-12-20T18:26:40Z")
river phoenix leaf garrett macaulay culkin rodney dangerfield carrot top rivers cuomo (from the band weezer) sid vicious johnny rotten (both from the band the sex pistols) fess parker moon unit zappa dweezil zappa ahmet zappa diva zappa (the zappa kids) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/52 "2003-12-20T21:05:36Z")
Ummmm, I don’t think Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious and Carrot Top are their real names (says **Eve** , for, what, the third time? Doesn’t anyone read OPs anymore?) ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/53 "2003-12-20T21:14:39Z")
I thought Peter O’Toole was joke name taken for show-biz, turns out it is real (from what I have read). ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/54 "2003-12-20T21:40:58Z")
_I_ read the OP, **Eve**. And River Phoenix wasn’t his real name either. Frighteningly enough, his real first name was River, but his real surname was Bottoms. His brother Joaquin was once billed as Leaf Phoenix (in the movie Parenthood). Which segues nicely into… Leif (not “Leaf”) Garrett is a real name, but his sister used the stage name Dawn Lyn. “Leif” is pronounced “Layf”. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/55 "2003-12-20T23:28:35Z")
Ok, a lot of these names are strange, but I think that the strangest I’ve ever heard belongs to someone who was in **John Doe** What kind of name is Sprague Grayden for a young woman? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/56 "2003-12-20T23:29:41Z")
Fairuza Balk ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/57 "2003-12-30T13:08:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Indygrrl \* > \*\*Treat Williams is the one I think is funny. What kind of a name is Treat? \*\* He’s named to honor an ancestor, Robert Treat Paine, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/58 "2003-12-30T20:32:06Z")
Chevy Chase Gwyneth Paltrow Keanu Reaves Ringo Starr Kiefer Sutherland I don’t know anyone IRL nor have I heard of anyone else having these as actual names. ---
**Author:** ![dav01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@dav01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dav01)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/59 "2003-12-30T21:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by dwc1970_ > **Chevy Chase > Gwyneth Paltrow > Keanu Reaves > Ringo Starr > Kiefer Sutherland** I believe Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey, and I’m pretty sure I’ve read somewhere that Chevy Chase is a stage name as well. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940/60 "2003-12-30T21:23:45Z")
Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore. Not weird names in themselves, but odd to attach to lovely young women like those two. Viggo Mortensen is a pretty weird name, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-stars-with-funny-names/219940.md?page=4)