19. Michael Caine – Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
The British actor was born on March 14th, 1933, with the name Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. His big acting breaks came in the sixties. During the decade, he starred in Alfie and The Italian Job as well as adding Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy to his resume later in his career.
He began his acting career under the pseudonym Michael Scott. However, in 1954, when his career was slowly building, his agent informed him that there was already a performer registered under that name in London. When they were having the conversation on a public telephone box, the actor looked around for inspiration and saw the Odeon Cinema marquee, which was playing the 1954 film The Caine Mutiny. It was then he decided to use and stick with Michael Caine.
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18. Whoopi Goldberg – Caryn Elaine Johnson
One may know Whoopi Goldberg for many reasons. In the 90s, she was once credited as the highest paid actress. She was only the second black woman to win an Academy Award for acting. She is one of only three females to win Best Comedy Album at the Grammys. And, of course, she starred in films likeThe Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act, and The Lion King.
The View moderator is also one of few to claim EGOT; winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Yet she was not born with the beloved name. The entertainer’s birth name is Caryn Elaine Johnson. Whoopi is a mixture of whoopee cushion and an alternative family name she thought would have her taken more seriously in the business.
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