Stage Names

it depends on the person... sometimes stage names (like say, Mistress) are just taken to give off an attitude. others are taken cuz a name is too difficult to say/figure out how to pronounce (possibly idina's reason) or even because theres someone with the same name or similar name in the same field (friend of mind has that concern)

Updated On: 1/5/05 at 03:02 AM

Many people change their names through numerology, choosing a name that better suits their personality or that might give their life more momentum. At one point, the wonderful Kaye Ballard was billing herself without the "e" (it didn't work...she changed it back). Some people "Anglicise" their names if they feel they are too ethnic. Or they just change them because a different name will look better in lights!

Don't forget the famous Yiddish comedian Leo Fuchs.

Forget the name, FF. Let's hear about your relative traveling with the circus. Is it like Dumbo, where everyone drinks after the show and the clowns are even scarier when the makeup comes off? 'Pink Elephants on Parade...'

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Some actors have to change their name to join SAG.

An example is Michael J. Fox- He wanted to go by the name Michael Fox, but there was already a Michael Fox in SAG and no two SAG actors can have the same name, so he added a J(which doesn't stand for anything)

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He took the J in reverence to an actor he admired named Michael J. Pollard.

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I've always thought that Angela was a pretty name. How about that one... I mean, it starts with an 'A', and describes your angelic nature.

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Another example of an actor who had to change his name is Nathan Lane (b. Joseph Lane). I actually know the woman who suggested the name "Nathan" to him.

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In my case, I use my first, middle and last name in my stage name. Nobody ever calls me "Joshua", and NO ONE has ever used my middle name in referring to me. I like it because, to me, it looks more complete than just my first and last name.

"" took another family name which is much better than my original last name."" ~CK

Actually,CK, darlin' I heard your family took a new name and address...but you kept on finding them! yuk..yuk..

More famous stage names:
Alice Cooper, Axl Rose, Barry Manilow, Bing Crosby, Buddy Holly,Cher,David Bowie, David Copperfield,Demi Moore,Diana Ross,Elton John,Englebert Humperdinck (figure that stage name), Eric Clapton,Gene Wilder,Harry Houdini,John Cleese, John Wayne,Meg Ryan, Mel Gibson,Michael Caine,Neil Diamond,Nicholas Cage,Omar Sarif,Ralph Lipschitz,Ricky Martin,Stevie Wonder,Tina Turner, Tom Cruise,Whoopie Goldberg (duh), Woddy Allen...

do a search to find their real names...or pay me a buck a name. :)

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less we forget Vanilla Ice...

Bernadette Peters was originally Bernadette Lazzarra. Peter was her father's name.