20 Jewish Actors Who Changed Their Names for Hollywood

Throughout the history of the entertainment industry many performers have adopted stage names to appeal to wider audiences or to avoid discrimination. This practice was especially common during the Golden Age of Hollywood when studio executives frequently encouraged actors to anglicize their names for better marketability. Jewish actors often felt pressure to hide their heritage due to the prevailing antisemitism of the era or simply wanted a moniker that fit better on a movie marquee. While some modern stars still change their names for simplicity or privacy the tradition remains a significant part of cinematic history.

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch to Jewish parents who emigrated from the Russian Empire. He legally changed his name before joining the United States Navy during World War II to sound more American. The actor became a screen legend through his intense performances in films such as ‘Spartacus’ and ‘Paths of Glory’. He used his influence to help break the Hollywood blacklist by hiring Dalton Trumbo to write the screenplay for his epic gladiator film. Douglas received three Academy Award nominations during his expansive career and eventually accepted an Honorary Oscar for his lifelong contribution to film.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was born Neta-Lee Hershlag in Jerusalem before moving to the United States as a young child. She adopted her paternal grandmother’s maiden name of Portman to protect her privacy after landing her debut role in ‘Léon: The Professional’. This decision allowed her to separate her public persona from her private life while she pursued her education at Harvard University. The actress won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her psychological performance in ‘Black Swan’. She continues to be a major force in Hollywood while maintaining her connection to her Israeli roots and heritage.

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz to a family of Jewish descent with roots in Russia and Romania. She chose the stage name Ryder after listening to a Mitch Ryder album during a telephone conversation with her agent. The actress rose to prominence in the late twentieth century with cult classics like ‘Heathers’ and ‘Beetlejuice’. Her performance in ‘The Age of Innocence’ earned her a Golden Globe Award and established her versatility in period dramas. Ryder later experienced a major career resurgence with her leading role in the hit series ‘Stranger Things’.

Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill was born Jonah Hill Feldstein and grew up in a creative family in Los Angeles. He legally dropped his surname Feldstein to simplify his name as he began his pursuit of an acting career. Hill became well known for his comedic timing in movies such as ‘Superbad’ and ’21 Jump Street’. He later transitioned into more serious dramatic roles and earned Academy Award nominations for ‘Moneyball’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. The actor has also expanded his career into directing and screenwriting with projects like ‘Mid90s’.

Woody Allen

Woody Allen was born Allan Stewart Konigsberg in the Bronx and began writing comedy at a young age. He adopted the name Woody Allen legally in the early 1950s as he started selling jokes to newspaper columnists. His career evolved from stand-up comedy to directing celebrated films like ‘Annie Hall’ and ‘Manhattan’. He holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay in the history of the awards. His work frequently features neurotic characters and explores themes of existentialism within New York City settings.

Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky and grew up in a Jewish household in Brooklyn. He changed his name because he felt Kaminsky was too difficult for marquee lights and wanted to avoid confusion with a jazz trumpeter named Max Kaminsky. Brooks became a master of farce and parody with legendary comedies such as ‘The Producers’ and ‘Blazing Saddles’. He is one of the few entertainers to have won an Emmy and a Grammy and an Oscar and a Tony Award. His influence on comedy extends across television and film and theater.

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee to a Russian Jewish father. He adopted his stage name at age 26 because he admired the character Eugene Gant from the novel ‘Look Homeward, Angel’ and the playwright Thornton Wilder. The actor formed a legendary partnership with Mel Brooks and starred in classics like ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘The Producers’. He brought a unique mix of hysteria and gentleness to the title role in ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’. Wilder also wrote and directed several of his own films including ‘The Woman in Red’.

Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske to Jewish parents in New York City. She adopted the surname Bacall from her mother’s family name Bacal and the director Howard Hawks added the name Lauren. She made her film debut opposite Humphrey Bogart in ‘To Have and Have Not’ and became known for her distinctive husky voice. Bacall starred in noir classics like ‘The Big Sleep’ and later won a Tony Award for her work on Broadway. Her career spanned seven decades and solidified her status as an icon of fashion and film.

Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx to Hungarian Jewish immigrants. He changed his name after signing a contract with Universal Pictures because the studio felt his birth name would hinder his career. Curtis became a massive heartthrob in the 1950s and starred in the iconic comedy ‘Some Like It Hot’ alongside Marilyn Monroe. He demonstrated his dramatic range in films like ‘The Defiant Ones’ which earned him an Academy Award nomination. His legacy includes more than 100 film credits and a lasting impact on American pop culture.

Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur was born Bernice Frankel and grew up in a Jewish family in New York and Maryland. She used a variation of her first name and her first husband’s surname to create her professional moniker. Arthur found massive success on television as the sharp-witted Maude Findlay in ‘Maude’ and later as Dorothy Zbornak in ‘The Golden Girls’. Her deep voice and commanding stage presence made her a standout performer in both musical theater and sitcoms. She won Tony and Emmy awards during her distinguished career for her impeccable comedic timing.

Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield was born Jacob Cohen and began his career as a singing waiter. He struggled for years under the name Jack Roy before finally adopting the name Rodney Dangerfield and achieving fame in his forties. The comedian became famous for his self-deprecating humor and the catchphrase about getting no respect. He starred in popular comedy films like ‘Caddyshack’ and ‘Back to School’ during the height of his popularity. Dangerfield helped launch the careers of many other comedians through his comedy club in New York.

George Burns

George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He adopted the name George Burns from the casual nickname given to coal yard workers and a local pair of brothers named Burns. He enjoyed a legendary partnership with his wife Gracie Allen on radio and television in ‘The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show’. Burns won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘The Sunshine Boys’ at the age of 80. He continued to perform well into his nineties and lived to be 100 years old.

Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson was born Emmanuel Goldenberg in Bucharest before his family emigrated to the United States. He changed his name to Edward G. Robinson while attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to sound more distinguished. The actor became the quintessential movie gangster after his breakout performance in ‘Little Caesar’. Despite his tough screen persona he was a sophisticated art collector and a man of culture in real life. Robinson received an Honorary Academy Award posthumously for his outstanding contribution to the world of cinema.

Judy Holliday

Judy Holliday was born Judith Tuvim to Russian Jewish parents in New York City. She translated her surname Tuvim which means holidays in Hebrew to the English equivalent Holliday for her professional name. The actress originated the role of Billie Dawn on Broadway in ‘Born Yesterday’ and won an Academy Award for the film adaptation. She was known for playing dumb blonde characters who were actually quite intelligent and sharp. Her career was tragically cut short by illness but her comedic performances remain highly acclaimed.

Jack Benny

Jack Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky and grew up in Waukegan adjacent to Chicago. He eventually settled on the name Jack Benny after brief stints performing as Ben K. Benny to avoid legal issues with another violinist. He became a titan of American radio and television with ‘The Jack Benny Program’ which ran for decades. His comedic persona was known for being miserly and playing the violin poorly despite his actual skill as a musician. Benny is widely considered one of the most influential comedians of the twentieth century.

Danny Kaye

Danny Kaye was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. He used his middle name and a shortened version of his surname to create a stage name that fit the vaudeville circuit. Kaye was a multi-talented performer known for his physical comedy and rapid-fire patter songs in movies like ‘The Court Jester’. He starred in the perennial holiday favorite ‘White Christmas’ alongside Bing Crosby. His humanitarian work as the first ambassador-at-large for UNICEF was as significant as his entertainment career.

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis was born Joseph Levitch to parents who were vaudeville entertainers. He used the name Jerry Lewis professionally to avoid confusion with the boxer Joe Louis and the comedian Joe E. Lewis. He rose to fame as one half of the comedy duo Martin and Lewis before embarking on a successful solo film career. Lewis wrote and directed and starred in ‘The Nutty Professor’ which is considered his masterpiece. He also raised billions of dollars for muscular dystrophy research through his annual Labor Day telethons.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna to a Jewish family. She changed her name to Hedy Lamarr at the suggestion of Louis B. Mayer who named her after the silent film star Barbara La Marr. She became known as one of the most beautiful women in film and starred in hits like ‘Samson and Delilah’. Beyond acting she was a brilliant inventor who co-developed a frequency-hopping signal technology. This invention laid the groundwork for modern wireless communication systems like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander was born Jay Scott Greenspan in Newark to Jewish parents. He created his stage name by borrowing the first name of his father to create a catchy pseudonym for his acting career. He is best known for his iconic role as George Costanza in the television sitcom ‘Seinfeld’. Alexander won a Tony Award for ‘Jerome Robbins’ Broadway’ and has had a successful career on stage and screen. His portrayal of neurotic characters has made him a recognizable figure in American comedy.

Michael Landon

Michael Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz in Queens to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. He chose the name Michael Landon from a phone book while looking for a name that sounded strong and appealing. He achieved television stardom as Little Joe Cartwright in the long-running western series ‘Bonanza’. Landon later created and starred in the beloved family drama ‘Little House on the Prairie’. He was also a prolific writer and director who produced much of the content for his own television shows.

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