Yahoo Lifestyle 17 Famous People Who "Americanized" Their Names Or Chose Stage Names
Using a stage name has been a common practice in Hollywood for ages. Oftentimes, aspiring performers choose a new name to help them stand out, but sometimes, they're forced or pressured to change their name to make it "easier to pronounce" or to "Americanize" it.
Here are 17 Latine celebs who changed their names for Hollywood (and why):
1.Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez.
Bruno was his childhood nickname because he resembled the wrestler Bruno Sammartino as a baby.
When he moved to LA at 17, his last name was treated as a problem.
In 2013, he told GQ that he'd hear, "Your last name's Hernandez, maybe you should do this Latin music, this Spanish music.... Enrique [Iglesias]'s so hot right now."
So, he adopted his stage name to avoid being stereotyped.
2.Oscar Isaac's real name is Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada.
He started auditioning under the name Oscar Isaac in Miami and kept the stage name when he enrolled in Julliard.
In 2017, he told Esquire, "When I was in Miami, there were a couple of other Oscar Hernándezes I would see at auditions. All [casting directors] would see me for was 'the gangster' or whatever, so I was like, 'Well, let me see if this helps.'"
3.Pedro Pascal's full name is José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal.
4.Cardi B's real name is Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (née Almánzar).
In 2016, she tweeted, "My name is Belcalis ,Growing up people called me Bacardi cause my sister name is Hennessy ..FYI."
5.Becky G's real name is Rebbeca Marie Gomez.
6.Bad Bunny's real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
7.Maluma's real name is Juan Luis Londoño Arias.
In 2019, he told The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, "My mom's name is Marlli, my father's name is Luis, and my sister's name is Manuela. So I took the first letters of each name and put it as my artist name."
8.James Roday Rodriguez was born James David Rodriguez.
During his first year at NYU, his successful audition for the lead role in Primal Fear was soured by a casting director who told him, "You're so great, but I don't think I can call you back because your last name is Rodriguez. But I can call you back for this four-line role of a gang member."
In 2020, he told TV Line, "I didn't look Latino enough. They basically didn't know what to do with me."
A month before his graduation three years later, he auditioned for a series regular role in a TV series.
He said, "I auditioned for the pilot, they [signed me to a] test deal, and next thing I know, I'm on a plane to Los Angeles and told in no uncertain terms, 'You are our guy.' Their only concern was that the role wasn't written for a Hispanic or Mexican person. They were worried that casting a white guy with a Mexican name could be construed as their version of 'diverse casting,' and there could be a backlash. They said, 'You might want to give some real consideration to changing your name.' Now imagine someone giving that advice to an actor out loud today, with the climate and cancel culture. That's it; they're done. But this is the late '90s. It was a different time and, frankly, my first two experiences kind of proved the point that they were making."
So, he adopted the stage name James Roday, which he "pulled right out of a Chekhov play that [he] was doing at the time."
However, in 2020, he decided to reclaim his real name.
He said, "And 20 years later, I realize I essentially perpetuated an institutionalized element of what's broken about this industry, which is, of course, a microcosm of the world we are living in. I can't excuse the decision because of youth or naiveté or ambition. The bottom line is, I sold out my heritage in about 15 seconds to have a shot at being an actor...[Now] I want to be the best, most honest ally and amplifier that I can be for my own community and for my friends of color. I don't think any of us could do that if we're not even putting the truest versions of ourselves out there."
9.Pitbull's real name is Armando Christian Pérez.
In the biography Pitbull: Mr. Worldwide, he said, "[Pitbulls] bite to lock. The dog is too stupid to lose. And they're outlawed in Dade County [in Florida]. They're basically everything that I am. It's been a constant fight."
10.Marc Anthony's real name is Marco Antonio Muñiz.
He chose a stage name to avoid confusion with the famous singer he was named after, Marco Antonio Muñiz.
11.Ricky Martin's real name is Enrique Martín Morales.
He adopted a stage name when he joined Menudo at age 12.
In 2024, he told The Kelly Clarkson Show, "So my name is Enrique, and the nickname for Enrique is Kike or Kiki. But they told me that, in some places of Asia, kiki means vagina. I was not gonna be Vagina Martin."
12.Daddy Yankee's real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez.
According to Pop Sugar, yankee is slang for "big shot" in Puerto Rico.
In 2016, he joked to Detras de la Fama that his real name is so long is sounds like a politician.
13.Steven Bauer's real name is Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson.
Initially, he acted under the name Rocky Echevarría.
In 2011, he told Kristina Puga, "Rocky was a gimmicky name. When I became an adult, it didn't feel real, and no one could pronounce Echevarría. Thirty years later, people can attempt it, but it's not Garcia or Perez. It was my father's idea to use my mom's German side, which is Bauer. In the early days, it also eliminated the problem of 'he's Latino.'"
14.Christina Milian was born Christine Flores.
Milian is her mom's maiden name.
She adopted a stage name so she could get more acting opportunities.
15.Ritchie Valens was born Richard Steven Valenzuela.
When he signed a contract with Del-Fi Records, the label shortened his name.
Label head Bob Keane reportedly thought his last name wasn't "American" or "radio-friendly" enough to sell.
16.Sabrina Bryan's real name is Reba Sabrina Hinojosa.
She chose the stage name Bryan to honor her brother, who died as an infant before she was born.
In 2007, she told People En Español, "I thought using his name was a way that his life could still go on as I prospered as an actress."
17.And finally, Jake T. Austin was born Jake Toranzo Austin Szymanski.
The "T" is for Toranzo, his mother's surname.
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