What's in a Name: Celebrity Edition Quiz

Answer: Betty Joan Perske

Perske was a model before breaking in to show business. Once she started acting, she became one of the most iconic actresses of her time. Movie producer and director Howard Hawks signed her to a seven year contract in the early 1940s, and decided to change her name.

He came up with the name "Lauren" for her. She is the one who chose the name "Bacall." She met Humphrey Bogart on the set of "To Have and Have Not," which was released in 1944, and they married in 1945. Along with Bogart, she appeared in "Key Largo," "Dark Passage," and "The Big Sleep," which were all released in the 1940s. Bacall died in 2014 at the age of 89.

Answer: Whoopi Goldberg

Johnson made her first big splash in 1985 when she portrayed Celie Johnson in "The Color Purple." She chose "Whoopi" as her stage name because she said that whenever she was on stage that there was no time for a bathroom break, so if she needed to pass gas, then she would just let it rip! She took her last name from one of her Jewish ancestors.

She had various comedic movie roles in the years following, starring in movies such as "Sister Act," "Made in America," "Corrina, Corrina," and "Bogus," all released in the 1990s.

She is one of the few people to have won awards at the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Grammys.

Answer: Dino Crocetti

Dino Crocetti gained fame with fellow comedian Jerry Lewis under the name of Martin and Lewis. He was once known by a different stage name, Dino Martini, but there was a popular singer by the name of Nino Martini, so he changed it to avoid confusion. Band leader Sammy Watkins was the one who suggested he change his name to Dean Martin. Martin was a member of the Rat Pack which included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, and Joey Bishop among others.

He was also noted for his celebrity roasts.

Answer: True

Walter's acting career lasted half a century, and he was nominated for three Oscars, and won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "The Fortune Cookie in 1966." He changed his name from "Matthow" to "Matthau" after World War II because he thought it sounded more exotic.

He was a good friend of fellow actor Jack Lemmon, and they starred in 10 movies with each other. Matthau died in 2000 after a heart attack.

Answer: Archibald Leach

Archibald Leach was born in 1904, and had a 30 year run as one of Hollywood's top box office draws. He changed his name to Cary Grant in 1932 when he signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. The executives didn't think his name wouldn't have enough drawing power for a top movie star, so he changed it to "Cary" from a role he had previously played, and the studio gave him his last name of "Grant." He starred in many critically acclaimed movies such as "Holiday" (1938), "Gunga Din" (1939), "Operation Petticoat" (1959), and "North By Northwest" (1959) just to name a few.

He was nominated for two Oscars but didn't win either time. He was, however, awarded an honorary Oscar in 1970 for his brilliant career.

Answer: Goldie Hawn

Goldie shortened her name to "Hawn" before she got into the acting business, because she knew that that long, and hard-to-pronounce name would likely cause her problems. She won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal as Judy Benjamin in "Private Benjamin," which was released in 1980.

She is the mother of actress Kate Hudson, and has been in a relationship with Kurt Russell since 1983, but they have yet to marry as of 2022. They both starred in the 1987 movie "Overboard," which is one of my favorites.

Answer: Ronald

Christopher Walken was born Ronald Walken in 1943, and he went on to become one of the most successful actors of his generation. He changed his name at the advice of Monique van Voorena, who was a fellow member of a nightclub dancing act with Walken 1964. Walken won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in "The Deer Hunter," which was released in 1978. and was nominated a second time in 2003 for his portrayal in "Catch Me If You Can," which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

Some of his other notable films include, "A View to Kill" (1985), King of New York" (1990), and "Batman Returns" in 1992.

Answer: Rita Hayworth

Cansino was born in 1918, and became a star in the 1940s. She was once known as Rita Cansino, which featured a shortened version of her first name, but studio executive Harry Cohn said that her last name was taking away roles for her because her last name sounded "too Mediterranean," so she changed her last name to her mother's maiden name of Hayworth. Aside from the 1946 movie "Gilda," she starred in two movies with Fred Astaire.

She was married to five different men, most notably Orson Welles from 1943 to 1947.

She was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in her early 60s, and she died in 1987.

Answer: Martin Sheen

Born Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez in 1940, he changed his name to Martin Sheen because he thought his Spanish name made potential employers leery about hiring him. He said he took his name from CBS casting director Robert Dale Martin, and archbishop Fulton J.

Sheen. Martin Sheen made his mark on the entertainment industry with roles such as Captain Benjamin Willard in the 1979 movie "Apocalypse Now," and President Josiah Bartlet in the television show "West Wing", which ran from 1999-2006. His sons, Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, followed in their father's footsteps and became successful actors in their own right.

Answer: Julius

Julius Henry Marx was born in 1890, and was the second oldest brother of the famed comedy act known as the Marx Brothers. Groucho got his nickname from a man named Art Fisher, while playing poker with the Marx brothers. Julius' nickname comes from a comic strip named "Sherlocko the Monk," which has a character named "Groucho," and Fisher called him that because he thought it fit Julius' personality, so from that day on, his stage name was "Groucho." Along with his brothers, Groucho starred in 13 movies, including the 1930 movie, "Animal Crackers," "Duck Soup" (1933), and "A Night at the Opera," which was released in 1935.

He also hosted "You Bet Your Life" from 1950-1961, which was a popular comedy television show that started out as a radio show. Groucho was known for his thick mustache, cigar, and quick wit.