With an enduring career as a rapper, actor and author, this guy’s been a show business staple for the better part of two decades. You know him as sexy LL Cool J, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: James Todd Smith got his now-famous moniker from the phrase, Ladies Love Cool James. In his everyday life, people call him Todd.

Since dancing in his button-up shirt in Risky Business, his name’s been atop the marquees in big budget pics such as Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky and The Last Samurai. You know him as Tom Cruise, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Thomas Mapother IV was born in Syracuse, New York to his mother, a special education teacher, and father, an electrical engineer.

The sexy wife of Ellen DeGeneres has appeared in TV shows like Ally McBeal and Arrested Development. You know her Portia De Rossi, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Amanda Rodgers reinvented herself at the age of 15 with a modeling career in mind, adopting the name “Portia” from a character in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Neurosis and genius all rolled into one, this talented actor filmmaker is responsible for iconic hits such as Annie Hall, Hannah And Her Sisters and Radio Days. You know him as Woody Allen, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Born Allan Konigsberg in Brooklyn, Woody’s comedic brilliance has made him a veritable icon in the American show biz tapestry.

He’s moonlit, died hard and clearly had a sixth sense about his vast roles in a number of hit films. You know him as Bruce Willis, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Walter Bruce Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, to a native German mom and an American solider dad.

This talented lady’s resume includes a Golden Globe and Grammy, as well as nominations for Academy Awards and Emmys. You know her as Queen Latifah, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Dana Elaine Owens, a Newark, New Jersey native, was born to Rita, a schoolteacher, and Lancelot Owens, Sr., a police officer.

This Oscar-winning star of films such as The Color Purple, Ghost, Eddie, Made In America and and Sister Act, this outspoken New Yorker has carved out a new career niche as a member of The View. You know her as Whoopi Goldberg, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Caryn Johnson said she chose to rename herself Whoopi because of her tendency to pass gas onstage. She said in 2007, “So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me, You are like a whoopee cushion. And that’s where the name came from.”

He lit up the box office with a number of action hits in The Fast And The Furious series. You know him as Vin Diesel, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Mark Vincent grew up in New York City with his mother Delora, a psychiatrist/astrologer. The handsome screen star says he’s “of ambiguous ethnicity — Italian and a lot of other stuff.”

This 80s A-lister lit up the silver screen in flicks like the Ghostbuster films, the Alien series and Working Girl. You know her as Sigourney Weaver, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Susan Weaver began using the first name “Sigourney” at 15, patterned after Sigourney Howard, a character in the timeless novel The Great Gatsby.

This Two-time Oscar winner’s versatility has made him one of the most coveted A-listers in Hollywood. You know him as Kevin Spacey, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Kevin Spacey Fowler adjusted his name for Hollywood’s marquees, using his paternal grandmother’s maiden name Spacey as a catchy acting moniker. It worked.

This one-time James Bond has sizzled it up on the big and small screens, with her successful 90s series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. You know her as Jane Seymour, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg — that’s a dozen syllables, folks — was born in England to her father, a Jewish Brit, and mother, a Dutch-born Protestant.

One of the most intense, and rangy, actors in Hollywood, he’s mastered every role from Mr. Mom to the Caped Crusader. You know him as Michael Keaton, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Michael Douglas — apparently, there’s some other guy in show biz with that name, and we hear he’s pretty successful too.

Carmen Electra
This sexy Playboy Playmate and ex-Baywatch beauty has lit up the silver screen in flicks such as Scary Movie, Date Movie and Meet The Spartans. You know her as Carmen Electra, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Tara Patrick, from Sharonville, Ohio, was born to mom Patricia, a singer, and dad Harry, a guitarist . No wonder she ended up in show biz !

This Some Like It Hot star sadly passed away in September,of 2010, but not before leaving his lasting mark in the world of film, as well as art. You know him as Tony Curtis, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Native New Yorker Bernard Schwartz the son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, did not learn English until the age of 5.

Rapper, Oscar-nominated A-list actor … this guy’s got plenty of personalities as is, so what’s an extra name? You know him as Joaquin Phoenix, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Joaquin Bottom — once known as Leaf Phoenix, as well — was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moved to the states at

This blond rocker was one of the biggest hit makers of the 80s, with songs such as Dancing With Myself, White Wedding and Cradle Of Love. You know him as Billy Idol, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: William Broad, who was born in England, moved with his family to Long Island, New York when he was 2.

This actor parlayed his breakout role in the pot comedy Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle into stints on shows such as Law & Order: SVU and House — and even a gig at The White House. You know him as Kal Penn, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Kalpen Modi grew up with his parents, both Gujarati immigrants from India, in New Jersey.

This breakout beauty has wowed audiences as the lead female singer on Fox’s breakout hit, Glee. You know her as Lea Michele, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Bronx native Lea Sarfati’s diverse background has made for drop dead gorgeous looks, as her mother’s Italian American Catholic, while her father’s a Spanish Sephardic Jew.

Some will forever know him as Dylan McKay, while others laud the impressive body of work in TV and film he’s had since leaving the world’s most famous zip code. You know him as Luke Perry, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Coy Perry III grew up in Fredericktown, Ohio, to his homemaker mother and his steelworker father, Coy Luther Perry, Jr.

She’s taken the pop world by storm the past two years with hits such as Paparazzi and Telephone. You know her as Lady Gaga, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a native New Yorker, went to school at Manhattan’s Convent of the Sacred Heart.

This resilient beauty rocked the charts in 2010 with hits such as The Way You Lie, Rude Boy and Only Girl. You know her as Rihanna, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in Saint Michael, Barbados and raised by her mother, an accountant, and father, a warehouse supervisor.

One of the most famous entertainers in the world, no one’s asking “Who’s that Girl?” when they see her coming anymore . You know her simply as Madonna, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Like Rihanna, Madonna Louise Ciccone chose to eliminate that pesky last name en route to international pop stardom.

This bisexual beauty took the reality world by storm with her MTV dating show, where she chose between 16 men and 16 women. You know her as the outrageous Tila Tequila, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Tila Nguyen was born in Singapore, where her Vietnamese family settled down after their country’s war ended.

This multi-Platinum rapper didn’t die trying to get rich, but he’s reportedly taking comic Chelsea Handler to his candy shop these days. You know him as 50 Cent, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Curtis Jackson III — who’s rapped plenty about his childhood in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York — overcame tragedy to triumph in his later years, as his mother was killed when he was just 12.

This blond rocker was one of the biggest hit makers of the 80s, with songs such as Dancing With Myself, White Wedding and Cradle Of Love. You know him as Billy Idol, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: William Broad, who was born in England, moved with his family to Long Island, New York when he was 2.

Hailed as one of the preeminent rockers of his generation, you too have probably enjoyed some of his band’s songs, such as With Or Without You, Mysterious Ways and Beautiful Day. You know him as Bono, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Paul Hewson adopted the iconic moniker from the Latin phrase Bonavox, which means “good voice.” We’d say he’s lived up to his nickname, and then some.

Her pottery scene with the late Patrick Swayze in Ghost is still hailed as one of the sexiest, most intense moments ever caught on film –and she was instant putty in the hands of men everywhere. You know her as Demi Moore, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: With a name like Demetria Gene Guynes, you’d think she’d have been Punk’d out of show biz, but a name change and three decades of hits since have made that possibility inconceivable.

This country crooner’s sold more than 40 million albums and has 8 number-one singles to her credit. You know her as Faith Hill, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Audrey Faith Perry changed her last name with her first marriage to music publishing executive Daniel Hill.

He’s conquered the world of film, radio and music with his charming moxie. You know him as Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, but what’s his real name?
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Answer: Eric Bishop changed his name to Jaime Foxx as a tribute to Sanford And Son funnyman Redd Foxx. He adopted the Jaime name so comedy clubs would not know if he was a man or a woman, eliminating any possible gender-based biases as he got his career off the ground.

This one-time James Bond has sizzled it up on the big and small screens, with her successful 90s series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. You know her as Jane Seymour, but what’s her real name?
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Answer: Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg — that’s a dozen syllables, folks — was born in England to her father, a Jewish Brit, and mother, a Dutch-born Protestant.