11 Stars Who Refused To Change Their Names For Hollywood

However not all stars have given into the insistence of managers and executives who needed them to eliminate their id. Fairly just a few stars have stood sturdy with their need to maintain their names — and have succeeded regardless of the calls for.

Learn on to seek out out which stars turned down a reputation change…

1. Zoe Saldaña

Early on in Zoe Saldaña’s profession, her crew prompt to her that she change her identify. Zoe later defined that her supervisor instructed her that it was one thing everybody in Hollywood did — and even the supervisor herself had modified her moniker.

“After I did Heart Stage, I keep in mind being discouraged by my administration at the moment to make use of my identify. However their intention was by no means for me to cease being who I’m. They celebrated who I used to be,” she instructed Leisure Weekly.

She continued, “However my supervisor on the time was a former singer and a ballroom performer, and she or he did change her identify as properly when she was a youngster again within the ’60s, I consider. And he or she stated it’s what all people does. That at the moment is recommendation we take into account poor, however that was her doing the very best that she needed for me. However I nonetheless knew that I preferred my identify.”

2. Saoirse Ronan

Rising up, Saoirse Ronan thought-about altering her troublesome to pronounce identify — particularly contemplating she didn’t know anybody else who shared the moniker. However as she received older, she determined that she wasn’t going to let anybody have an effect on how she felt about her identify.

“After I was a toddler and no one else was known as Saoirse, I assumed, ‘Oh, I’d like a traditional identify,’ simply because I used to be a child,” she instructed the Irish Impartial. “However the older I received, I made a decision I used to be by no means going to alter something for anybody.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

When Hasan Minhaj started his profession in comedy, he was instructed he was going to have to alter his identify. At first he tried going by the identify Sean at just a few open mic nights however finally determined to make use of a extra Americanized pronunciation of his actual identify, a lot to his dad or mum’s dismay. However every thing modified for him throughout an look on The Ellen Present when she mispronounced his identify — and he determined to set the file straight as soon as and for all.

“After I first began doing comedy, folks had been like, ‘It’s best to change your identify.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not going to alter my identify.’ If you happen to can pronounce Ansel Elgort, you’ll be able to pronounce Hasan Minhaj. There’s an actor simply named Ansel Elgort and all of us simply stroll round saying it, fully usually,” Hasan stated on the present.

4. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Rising up, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan knew her identify was exhausting to say so she used to anglicize it so it was simpler for others to pronounce. Wanting again, she says she would inform classmates and buddies to name her “tray, like my tray of cookies.” When she landed her function in By no means Have I Ever, she determined to make use of the chance as a recent begin to train others how you can correctly say her identify.

“After I got here to Hollywood and other people had been like, ‘Sorry, how do you say your identify?’ That was my epiphany of like, ‘You’ve a recent begin, nobody right here is aware of your identify, go for it.’ And I’m actually happy with my 20-letter identify. It’s fairly superior,” she instructed Refinery 29 Australia.

She continued, “I don’t ever plan on altering it, and I simply need folks to respect that and take a look at their hardest to say it proper. Clearly, they won’t get it proper the primary time, I get it, that’s completely fantastic. Simply attempt to simply give me that respect as a result of that is one thing that everybody deserves on the subject of their very own identify.”

5. Harrison Ford

As a younger actor, Harrison Ford was inspired to make use of a stage identify like a lot of his fellow entertainers. Harrison wasn’t into the thought of going by a distinct identify so when the studio instructed him to provide you with alternate monikers, he selected the outlandish identify Kurt Affair. The studio ultimately dropped the thought and Harrison received out of his contract.

“They thought Harrison Ford was a pretentious identify for a younger man. I did not agree with that. I assumed it was a pretentious identify for an outdated man. I nonetheless haven’t modified it,” Harrison shared.

6. Barbra Streisand

When Barbra Streisand was a younger musician, she was instructed she ought to change her identify to Barbara Sands. Wanting again, she says she had no real interest in going by a stage identify — however she did conform to take away an “a” from her start identify Barbara to make her moniker extra distinctive.

“Folks needed me to be known as Barbara Sands. I assumed, ‘What? No. Streisand is my identify. I don’t wish to change it,’” Barbra shared on The Tonight Present.

7. Michael Peña

When Michael Peña first received to Hollywood, it was really helpful that he change his identify. Michael declined, feeling that altering his identify could be erasing a few of his id and his household’s historical past. Despite the fact that he noticed actors who had modified their identify getting extra jobs than him, he needed to turn into an inspiration to different Latino folks.

“I noticed that some folks would change their identify, and they might get commercials. I simply thought it was a slap within the face…as a result of I did cope with racism as a child. So it felt like altering my identify could be type of like conforming. I’m probably not down for that,” he instructed GQ.

He continued, “I do know that my mother and father, they crossed the border to supply us a fantastic life. And I didn’t wish to flip my again on my dad working two full-time jobs, my mother working two full-time jobs, so me and my brother might go to personal faculty. So I by no means thought-about it. It might’ve been simpler, perhaps. Possibly to start with.”

8. Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez’s father Martin Sheen was born Ramón Estévez however adopted a stage identify early in his profession. When his kids determined to pursue performing, he hoped that they wouldn’t do the identical, encouraging them to maintain their household identify. Emilio’s agent did in reality ask him to alter his identify — however he declined.

“The one affect I had on Emilio was to maintain his identify. When he began out, his agent was advising him to alter his identify to Sheen and he wouldn’t do it. And I thank God he didn’t,” he instructed Nearer Weekly.

9. Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch was truly given the primary identify Jo at start however whereas in class, she determined to go by her center identify Raquel. When she started her leisure profession, executives needed her to alter her identify to Debbie. She declined.

“Folks didn’t like my identify and so they stated it was too ethnic, too troublesome to pronounce, too unique,” she shared. “They needed to alter it and I used to be not blissful in any respect. I did actually really feel like Raquel.”

10. Quvenzhané Wallis

Annie star Quvenzhané Wallis might have a reputation that’s troublesome to pronounce however she says she’s not eager about having it another method. Quvenzhané is the identify she was given at start and it’s the identify she’ll be conserving.

“I’ll by no means change as a result of that’s what I used to be born with,” she instructed V journal.

11. Andy García

When Andy García first started his performing profession within the Seventies, he was urged to alter his identify. On the time, Latino actors had been typically “pigeonholed into components that require a personality that they assume may very well be Hispanic.” On prime of that, there weren’t many roles out there that match that description. Executives instructed Andy that altering his identify would open up extra alternatives — however he declined.

“I believe that a very powerful factor as an artist is to [have] a really private connection to who you might be. I at all times felt that in altering the identify I’d lose type of the essence of how I might personalize the work, my standpoint. And it will be, in a method, betraying that, betraying my inside self,”   Andy instructed HuffPost.

He continued, “So on a private notice I used to be simply by no means ready to go that route. You consider it very strongly since you need to have the ability to work, however on the finish of the day I made a decision to not go that route. It’s totally troublesome, I believe, when somebody asks you who you might be and also you state your identify and it’s probably not your identify.”