You'd be surprised: the real names of stars many people didn't even know they had

When getting to know a person, it can sometimes be difficult to remember a name the first time. If you plan to become a superstar, but your name consists of a set of difficult to combine letters, it is almost impossible.

Many stars come up with pseudonyms, which are easy to pronounce and resound on stage. OBOZREVATEL tells about the top celebrities, who for certain reasons changed their real names and surnames.

• Nicolas Cage - Nicholas Kim Coppola

The real name of Hollywood sex symbol Nicolas Cage is Nicholas Kim Coppola. He is the nephew of film director Francis Ford Coppola. The actor in his youth wanted to differ from his uncle, so he came up with the surname Cage.

• David Copperfield - David Seth Kotkin

At the age of 18, Copperfield enrolled at the Jesuit Fordham University in New York, but three weeks into his freshman year, he left his studies because he was invited to play the lead role in the musical The Magic Man in Chicago. At this time, he took the stage name David Copperfield from the famous novel by Charles Dickens, because he liked the sound of it.

• Sophia Loren - Sophia Villani Schicolone

Actress Sophia Loren went from near poverty to the pinnacle of Hollywood fame. The directors did not want Sophia to be associated with Italy, so they suggested changing her last name to the anglicized "Loren". The producers of the movie "Africa Under the Sea" insisted that the name not be so Italian. The spelling of her name was changed from Sofia to Sophia.

• Chuck Norris is Carlos Ray Norris

Actor Chuck Norris was given the name Carlos Ray by his parents. He did not get the nickname "Chuck" until the age of 18 when he joined the United States Air Force. While serving as an air policeman at an airbase, his fellow soldiers dubbed him "Chuck", which Norris grew to love and took it as his nickname.

• Mickey Rourke - Philip Andrea

Actor Mickey Rourke is a lover of change. Back at the beginning of his career, he changed his name from Philip Andrea because he didn't like it.

• Muhammad Ali - Cassius Marcellus Clay

Boxer Muhammad Ali has changed his real name to Cassius Marcellus Clay. He wanted to become a Muslim, in return Islamists asked to change his name, as his parents named the athlete after a famous slave trader.

• Elton John is Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Sir Elton John copied the name of fellow musician Elton Dean. The singer played in a band, wanted to go solo and chose a new name because his name was too long - Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

• Vin Diesel - Mark Sinclair

Actor Vin Diesel 's first name was Mark Sinclair. As a young man, he worked as a "bouncer" in a nightclub in New York. He came up with the nickname Vin Diesel, because it sounded cool for his profession. The "Vin" part comes from his mother's last name, Vincent, and the nickname "Diesel" was given to him by his friends because of his energy.

• Marilyn Manson - Brian Hugh Warner

Rock musician Marilyn Manson has changed his name in honor of movie star Marilyn Monroe and psychotic killer Charles Manson.

• Charlie Sheen - Carlos Irvin Estevez

Actor Charlie Sheen initially went by the name Carlos Irwin Estevez. He decided to be called Charlie to avoid confusion with his uncle, who was also named Carlos. When Charlie began acting in movies, he took the last name Sheen to follow in the footsteps of his father Martin Sheen.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL wrote about five stars who radically changed their hair color. Celebrities resorted to experimentation and did not regret it.

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