Michael Keaton Reveals Why He’s Dropping His Stage Name for His Real Name

Michael Keaton—or rather, Michael Keaton Douglas—is looking forward to a homecoming.

The Spider-Man actor recently made headlines when he shared he wanted to switch from his stage surname, that of Keaton, back to his original last name of Douglas. (Yes, like that Michael Douglas). Now, the 73-year-old is shedding light on the decision.

“I like my name,” he told E! News at the premiere of his new film Goodrich, set for release Oct. 11. He added of his current moniker, “Every time I say my name, I kind of go, ‘Fraud. It’s not your name.’”

He then joked of fellow film star Diane Keaton (no relation), “Poor Diane. The poor woman has probably had to put up with so many stupid questions: ‘You’re his sister?’” (For more with Michael and his Goodrich costar Mila Kunis, tune into E! News tonight, Oct. 9 at 11 p.m.)

The Birdman actor noted he’d wanted to use “Michael Keaton Douglas” for his credit on his 2023 film Knox Goes Away, which he directed and starred in, but that he forgot to note the change in time for the movie’s premiere.

“It might not happen legally,” Michael added. “Someone might challenge me.”

That someone, however, might not be Hollywood’s other Michael Douglas. As the Batman actor noted, he and the Basic Instinct star once addressed their matching monikers.

“Long time ago, he and I laughed about it,” Michael revealed. “Because one time he got something I think from some hospital or something and he went, ‘What?!’ And they got the things messed up.”

But just how did the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star land on his choice of Keaton?

“I was looking through—I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” he told People in an interview published Sept. 4. “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”

And he’s not the only A-lister who’s opted to change their moniker when entering Hollywood due to another actor bearing the same name.

In fact Emma Stone—whose real name is Emily Stone—recently expressed her desire to revert back to her original name. 

"That would be so nice," she told The Hollywood Reporter of becoming Emily all the time in an interview published in April. "I would like to be Emily."

In fact, many of her professional colleagues already have made the switch.

"When I get to know them, people that I work with do," she explained. "I freaked out a couple of years ago. For some reason, I was like, 'I can't do it anymore. Just call me Emily.'"

Read on for more celebrities who have changed their names for Hollywood.

--Reporting by Nikki Novak

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Congratulations to Post Malone, who incorporated his surname into his stage name. However, the rapper does prefer his close friends to call him by his real name.

During the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift referred to him as "Austin" when they won the Best Collaboration award for their duet "Fortnight."

Though the singer initially released a Christian album under her birth name in 2001, she felt the stage name Katy Perry—inspired by her mom's maiden name—might meet pop fans more in awe, awe, awe. 

Cardi B took on the name Bacardi after family and friends started calling her sister Hennessy. Later on she shortened the name to something that suited her quite a bit more.

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel. 

Shania Twain shared the origin story of her stage name during an appearance on Apple Music's Home Now Radio: "In short, I was born, Eilleen Regina Edwards, and then I was adopted and I became Eilleen Regina Twain. Then I became a professional singer and I needed a stage name that sounded a little less like my grandmother's name, because I'm named after my grandmother, both my grandmothers, Eilleen and Regina. I think, in my mind, I was just not really wanting to be called my grandmother's name onstage, so I decided to change it to Shania Twain. I met somebody with the name Shania, thought it was beautiful, and Shania Twain was born."

The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer’s onstage persona—Chappell Roan—has always been a “drag project,” allowing her to set boundaries and separate her personal life from the industry.

Oddly enough, Gigi Hadid got her stage name in school when the teacher would confuse her and a girl named Helena. Since her mom called her "gigi" as a term of endearment at home, she told the teacher to just call her Gigi and it simply stuck. 

If you're looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?

Miley Cyrus' bright smile is what inspired her childhood nickname, Smiley. Eventually the name was shortened to Miley and it stuck. 

Apparently the singer looked more like a Bruno than a Peter, so one day his dad started calling him Bruno. Ever since, he has been known as Bruno Mars.

Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.

Jason Sudeikis confirmed on Today that he was named Daniel after his father, but following some confusion, his mom started using his middle name Jason to avoid confusion. 

Emma Stone ended adopting this stage name after finding out that the Screen Actors Guild already had a member registered under her birthname. 

Turns out Reese isn't even Reese Witherspoon's middle name. The actress chose the moniker in honor of her mother, whose maiden name is Reese.

Every artist has an alter ego, and Lana Del Rey just happens to be the persona of choice for the singer. 

In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not? 

A little known fact about 30 Rock's Tina Fey is that she is actually named Elizabeth. The comedian made a not so subtle tribute to her birth name by naming her character Liz Lemon.

This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.

Turns out the "Royals" singer is really into learning about the aristocracy, hence the reason why she chose the name Lorde, but with a feminine 'e.'

Before he started shaking his bonbon for the masses, music superstar Ricky Martin went by this everyday name.

It's hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!

Fans were confused when Taylor Swift thanked then-boyfriend Adam in an acceptance speech, which lead people to the discovery that Calvin Harris is simply a stage name. The DJ told Shortlist magazine he chose the name because his first single was more soulful and wanted something a bit more "racially ambiguous."

Before she became a household name, this was what erstwhile Friend Jennifer Aniston answered to.

Alicia Keys didn't always have such a musical name.

Before he became arguably the biggest movie star in the world, Tom Cruise went by this name.

Back when she was born in 1980, this was how the future bigtime actress Natalie Portman greeted the world.

Before she became a big-time TV star and married Ellen DeGeneres, this was the name Portia de Rossi answered to.

Guess music superstar Elton John didn't think his original name would be a hit with audiences.

Check The Simple Life alum Nicole Richie's birth certificate and this is the name you'll see.

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