Old Hollywood Celebrities Who Changed Their Names for Fame

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe's birth name was Norma Jean Mortensen and that Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm? Let us know in the comments section down below.

▬Contents of this video▬
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Cary Grant
00:59 - Natalie Wood
01:23 - Kirk Douglas
02:06 - Michael Caine
02:18 - Rita Hayworth
04:13 - Rock Hudson
04:33 - Joan Crawford
05:25 - Doris Day
05:33 - Bea Arthur
05:54 - Marilyn Monroe
06:37 - Audrey Hepburn
07:08 - Judy Garland
07:35 - Outro

During the notoriously oppressive studio system era of Hollywood, movie stars often changed their names for a number of different reasons. At times, they selected new names for themselves, but more often than not, their professional names were chosen for them by the studio executives.

Back in those days, the "big five", MGM, Warner Brothers, Paramount, RKO, and 20th Century Fox, exerted at least a degree of control over every last aspect of a star's life. They dictated their wardrobe choices and hairdos, arranged their romances and sometimes even their marriages, and concocted the perfect artificial people of the viewing public's dreams.

Sometimes American and British actors who had mundane, 'ordinary' sounding names were given 'exotic' ones to make them appear more intriguing and glamorous. On the flip side of the coin, foreign actors were often given names that scrubbed away any last hint of their ethnic heritage.

Ultimately, what it came down to was if you wanted to be rich and famous, then you had to do exactly what the execs over at the studio told you to do. Fortunately, these days film stars have the freedom to either keep their birth name or choose for themselves what stage name they want to perform under.

In this facts-packed video, we'll be taking a look at several Old Hollywood Celebrities Who Changed Their Name For Fame. We'll also touch on why they discarded their birth names in favor of the ones they ultimately became famous under.

Old Hollywood Celebrities Who Changed Their Names for Fame

[Castlabio]

Fascinating transformations! 🌟 It’s amazing how a name can shape a career in Hollywood! 🎬

[cadeevans]

A lot of them changed their name had Hollywood stage names that was perfect for the Hollywood name the great legends

[Phil_A_O_Fish]

I remember in the late 1970's after Joan Crawford's daughter Christina published her book 'Mommie Dearest' a lot of gay men walked around wearing T-shirts with Joan's picture on the front of them and the phrase ' I Never Laid A Hand On Those F*cking Children' emblazoned underneath that same picture.

Of course leave it up to Bette Davis to come out with her famous one-liners. Apparently when she was out on the town one night she saw Jean Harlow and commented that Jean's surname was really spelt with a silent 't' at the end of it. Bette's other fantastic one-liner was that she once commented about another actress that "....she was the good time that was had by all! " 👍🤣👍

[paulelliott]

You forgot Leonard Sly. BKA Roy Rogers. Conway Twitty's real name was Harold Jenkins and is a distant cousin on my mother's side.

[vicmartinoofficial]

Here's one for "you" actor entertainer "Vic Martino's" birth name is Vitorrio aka Vito Picicci. But no one cares about "him" lmao. But seriously I found this to be yet another interesting posting from "Facts Verse" I really enjoy "your" video postings here on You Tube!! Keep em coming. PS I also appreciate that "you" reply to most of the comments that I place.

[aaronurban]

I have to say that Audrey Hepburn information was great I still think she was the best looking out of all of them & one the greatest performers of all that were in your list.

[sallykohorst]

Another great video! You need to have easy film names so people don't have a hard time spelling or remembering! Its just easy.

[leesashriber]

Interesting. I think many changed their names and most of them were very catchy and I honestly can't imagine them with any other name. 😊

[jons.]

Nice video. There is definitely room for a follow-up to it because many more stars did this back in the day. For example Carmen Miranda was born "Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha"!

[avejoe]

All the famous stars changed their names for the glitz and glamour. Like Jamie Foxx real name is Eric Marlon Bishop for example.

[paulelliott]

Bob Hope. Because like his agent told him, you just can't have a comedian running around with the name Les Hope. ( Leslie Townsend Hope )

[paulelliott]

Judy was 1/3 of the singing Gumm Sisters prior to the Wizard of Oz. My 7th cousin was named after her parents Francis and Ethel. Her daughter Liza Minelli never used anything but her birth name. Judy died in London but was buried in New York and later re-buried recently at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in a family size crypt so that Liza, Lorna & Michael could visit her more easily and could be added later on as they die. While working on the family E - tree for 5+ years I got info from a 1/2 1st cousin that traced me back through a branch of the Gumm family tree I hadn't created yet. And now we know why one of my female 1st cousin's sisters bears a striking resemblance to one of Frances' older sisters. The linchpin was a man who had 2 sons. Gumm Jr. became Frances' direct descendant, and his younger brother became my bio families direct desc.

[kmstudios]

I pray who ever sees this be successful in life

[molinalong]

Tv stars passed away in 1970s

the list
Dan blocker =1972
Irene Ryan =1973
Richard Long = 1974
Will geer =1978
Peter duel =1971
Zara cully =1978
Jack soo =1979

[chrismulwee]

Here's one- TV personality Peter Marshall-Ralph Pierre LaCoque( or maybe LaCock). I don't blame him for changing it!

[Margann]

I hope that I am not the only one to watch this and think: "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"

[paulelliott]

Nicholas Cage came up with a stage name so he would be hired on his own acting ability. Rather than use the Coppola name and always wonder Did I get that job because of my Uncle Frank ( Movie Director Francis Ford Coppola )

[paulelliott]

Of the Estevez's Emilio was the only male NOT to use a stage name.

[louispitalo]

Hey guys MM’s name was Norma Jean Baker, the Mortenson was her husband’s name whom she married 17 or 18

[Farrah]

Though he came later, Michael Keaton is actually a stage name. His real name is get this, Michael Douglas. He still goes by that name in private.