These Celebrities Don't Actually Use Their Real Names

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman's given name comes from her Israeli culture. She was born with a traditional Hebrew name, Neta-Lee Hershlag. When her family emigrated to the U.S. in 1984, they changed their surname to Portman, her grandmother's maiden name. 

Kit Harington

The "Game of Thrones" heartthrob Kit Harington revealed that his parents didn't tell him that his real name wasn't Kit until he was 11 years old. "I think they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition," Harington explained. "My brother's name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it's just not used that often. My middle name is Catesby."

Next Page →

Advertisement

The More You Know

  • Actor Joaquin Phoenix was born in a cult, which might help explain why his siblings were named River, Rain, Liberty, and Summer. Their parents were members of Children of God group, which was founded in the 1960s.
  • Before she was a megastar, Madonna worked at Dunkin Donuts. She got fired for squirting jelly on a customer.
  • Channing Tatum played a bartender in Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" music video. He made $400 for the role.
  • Shakira was banned from her school’s choir, and her classmates said she sounded like a goat.
Next Page →

Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.