[post_page_title]Rooney Mara – Patricia Rooney Mara[/post_page_title]
It’s a small change, but it makes all the difference. Pat Mara sounds like a middle-aged mother in Boston, not a celebrity superstar and actress. Admittedly Rooney is kind of a weird name, but Hollywood loves weird. It practically thrives on it! Rooney’s much cooler than Patricia, and suits her down to the ground.
[post_page_title]Natalie Portman – Natalie Herschlag[/post_page_title]
Fair play to Portman for changing her last name, it’s not exactly one you’d want even if you weren’t a movie star. If you say it quickly, it sounds like you’re saying something else! A portmanteau if you will… Anyway, it’s funny how just a slight change in your name can change people’s perceptions of you.
[post_page_title]Whoopi Goldberg – Caryn Elaine Johnson[/post_page_title]
One of the hardest things to do in showbiz is to get people’s attention. Plain old Caryn Elaine Johnson wouldn’t get a second look, but Whoopi Goldberg? That’s a name you can remember. Whoopi got her namesake after the gag item the “whoopie cushion,” because of her, well, flatulence when backstage at comedy clubs before and after her sets.
