A lot of actors,past and present haven't used their real names for a variety of reasons.

Maybe it was too 'ethnic' sounding or hard to pronounce or not glam enough.

Sometimes they have to choose a new name because another actor has the same name.

Or in the case of females,they use a married name that may or may not be current.

Let's investigate.

To start off...

Eric Braeden originally used his real name Hans Gudegast but felt it typecasted him to German roles (as a villian) He chose Braeden from a village where he grew up/.

Hunter Tylo was originally Deborah Morehart,which I assume was her real name.She took Tylo from her marriage to Michael Tylo .

Any others?

Ric Hearst - I don't think that's his first name, and he changed his last name from Herbst because he was told that you can't make it in the business with that name. He said that when his grandmother first saw that there was a Becky Herbst on GH, she kept needling him.

Ric Hearst - I don't think that's his first name, and he changed his last name from Herbst because he was told that you can't make it in the business with that name. He said that when his grandmother first saw that there was a Becky Herbst on GH, she kept needling him.

He goes by Rick Herbst on twitter as well LOL

Maurice Benard was born Mauricio Morales but changed his last name because he was tired of being type cast for Latino roles.

And Stephen Martines changed his name to Coltin Scott for a little while.

Eileen Fulton -> Margaret McLarty

Morgan Fairchild -> Patsy Anne McClenny

Schae Harrison -> Deborah Schaeffer

Hunter Tylo was born Deborah Jo Hunter. She took her surname as her first name because people called her that. She married a man named Morehart, and then married Michael Tylo and became Hunter Tylo.

Scott Clifton is actually Scott Snyder. Clifton was his middle name.

Don Diamont was born Donald Feinberg.

Katherine Kelly Lang was born Katherine Kelly Wegeman.

Ronn Moss was born Ronald Montague Moss.

Vanessa Marcil-Giovinazzo is actually Sally Vanessa Ortiz-Giovinazzo.

SALLY???

Thorsten Kaye's name is Thorsten Ernst Kieselbach

Victoria Wyndham is Victoria Camargo

Maurice Benard was born Mauricio Morales but changed his last name because he was tired of being type cast for Latino roles.

Thank goodness, too. Otherwise, we never would have been witness to his brilliance as Asian mobster, Sonny Corinthos.

Thank goodness, too. Otherwise, we never would have been witness to his brilliance as Asian mobster, Sonny Corinthos.

Hasn't Sonny made a gradual transition from being Latino to Italian?

I think he's supposed to be Grecian on the show...

Morgan Fairchild -> Patsy Anne McClenny

LOL. MF is definitely no Patsy! Wise choice!

I think he's supposed to be Grecian on the show...

The only thing "Grecian" in Sonny is the formula he uses to hide the grey in his hair.

Edited June 9, 201213 yr by Khan