My Old Name, and My New Name! 2 Quiz

Answer: Alan Alda

Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo (1936- ) is an American actor, author, singer, podcast host, screenwriter, and director, whose stage name is Alan Alda. Alan began his artistic life at a young age, as he accompanied his father, Robert Alda, in his work as an actor and singer, not only in the United States but also in some European countries. Alan Alda received his Bachelor of Arts degree and later entered the United States Army Reserve.

He began his career in the 1950s but became known for his role as Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the CBS wartime sitcom "M*A*S*H". He starred in the series for 11 years (1972-1983); during this time he co-wrote 19 episodes, directed 32, and was the only actor to star in all 256 episodes.

In addition to his work in film, television, and theater, Alan Alda worked on many charitable issues, such as the campaign to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital. He also worked with Former First Lady Betty Ford to campaign for women's rights. For 14 years, he was host of "Scientific American Frontiers", a TV show that showcased advances in science and technology.

Alan Alda is a six-time Primetime Emmy Award and five Gold Globe Awards winner, and nominee for Tony Award, Academy Award, and BAFTA Awards. He also received numerous honorary degrees. Anyone who wants to know more about his life can do so by reading his memoirs.

Answer: Jack Benny

Benjamin Kubelsky (1894-1974), best known as Jack Benny, was the son of immigrants, and at the age of six began studying the violin, an instrument he loved but hated to practice. At a young age, he became friends with the Marx Brothers, especially Zeppo Marx. He had minor success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit, and became one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century, enjoying a highly popular and long career that lasted from 1934 until 1974, as a comic on radio, TV, and film. His last performance was in August 1974, on the "Tonight Show" hosted by Rich Little.

When he formed a vaudeville musical duo with pianist Cora Folsom Salisbury he had a problem. The then-famous Czech violinist Jan Kubelík, fearing that the vaudevillian with a similar name would damage his reputation, legally pressured Benjamin Kubelsky to change his name. He agreed and became Ben K. Benny. After World War II he developed a one-man act named "Ben K. Benny: Fiddle Funology". He was once again legally pressured by Ben Bernie, the "patter-and-fiddle" performer, to change his name. So, he adopted his sailor name, Jack, becoming Jack Benny.

Answer: Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda (1904- 1973) was a Chilean poet, writer, diplomat and politician. At the age of 13, he published his first work, named "Entusiasmo y perseverancia" in a local newspaper, signed as Neftali Reyes. As his father was opposed to his son's interest in writing and literature, by the mid-20s he adopted the pseudonym Pablo Neruda. Some believe that the pseudonym was inspired by the Czech poet Jan Neruda and others believe that the inspiration was the Moravian violinist Wilma Neruda, whose name appears in the novel "Study in Scarlet", by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Parallel to his career as a poet and writer, Neruda had a career as a diplomat, serving a term as a senator of the Chilean Communist Party. He was awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature "for poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams". He was the second Chilean laureate in Literature, after Gabriela Mistral who received the prize in 1945, one of the people who encouraged him to write since childhood.

Answer: Italo Svevo

Aron Ettore Schmitz (1861 - 1928), better known by his pseudonym Italo Svevo, was born from a Jewish German father and an Italian mother, and grew up loving literature, reading Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, and the classics of Russian and French literature. Growing up speaking Italian and one of its regional dialects, he became fluent in German after attending boarding school in the German Empire. After marriage, he became a businessman and lived in England for a while.

His career as a writer began in 1880, under the pseudonym Italo Svevo, literally meaning "Italus the Swabian", which demonstrates his dual cultural identity: Italian and German. His first novel published in 1892, "Una Vita", was not successful. In 1923, Svevo published the novel "La Coscienza di Zeno", which also did not receive much attention in Italy. However, James Joyce, who was a friend of Svevo, encouraged him to continue writing and sent the book to two French critics who published it and made it a success in France, causing Italian critics to focus on the work. While working on a sequel to "Zeno", Svevo was killed in an automobile accident. After his death, several of his works were published.

Answer: John Wayne

Marion Robert Morrison (1907-1979) is the name of the famous movie artist John Wayne, nicknamed "The Duke". His career began in the 1920s. In this decade he appeared in around 20 films, many of them dating back to the silent film era, without receiving credit for his participation.

He shone during Hollywood's Golden Age, especially in War and Western films. In the 1920s and 1930s, he appeared in countless films without becoming a star. With the film "Stagecoach", directed by John Ford, he gained stardom. In total, he participated in 142 films, as well as television appearances. He embodied the image of the taciturn and strong cowboy and stoic soldier. In his long career, he starred alongside Maureen O'Hara, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Dean Martin, Lauren Bacall, and others. His last film was "The Shootist" (1976), in which he plays a gunfighter who is dying of cancer. He died three years later.

Reportedly, Marion Morrison changed his name because Raoul Walsh, one of the first directors he worked with, and Winnie Sheehan, a Fox Studios vice president, did not like his name. As Walsh was a fan of "Mad" Anthony Wayne (a Revolutionary War general), he came to be called Wayne and some believe that the actor chose "John" in honor of John Ford.

Answer: Whoopi Goldberg

Caryn Elaine Johnson, born in the United States in 1955, is an American actor, author, comedian, and television personality. She is best known as Whoopi Goldberg. She stated that she wanted a more Hollywood-friendly name. She created a name out of a childhood memory, blaming it on her farting so much that her friends referred to her as a whoopee cushion. The surname Goldberg was reportedly chosen due to her Jewish descent.

She performed several works but her success came after Steven Spielberg saw Whoopi's one-woman show and invited her to star in "The Color Purple". This was the starting point for a highly successful career.

Answer: Carmen Electra

Tara Leigh Patrick was born in 1972 to parents dedicated to music and entertainment. From an early age, she studied dance and performing arts, having attended several establishments in the field. She began her career in 1990 performing in the show "It's Magic" at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.

In 1991, her life and her name changed. Tara signed a contract with the Paisley Park Record label belonging to singer and songwriter Prince. She was then an aspiring performer and Prince reportedly said: "You are not Tara. You're Carmen." And then after she danced for him he said, "You look like Electra. That should be your name." The album she recorded was named "Carmen Electra". Carmen has had a successful career. She appeared several times in "Playboy", and acted in dozens of television and film roles, including in "American Vampire" and "Starsky & Hutch".

Carmen Electra is now legally Carmen Electra. The star filled a form to make her stage name her legal name. On February 27, 2024, the request was granted to replace her birth name, Tara Leigh Patrick, with her stage name.

Answer: Lady Bird Johnson

Claudia Alta Taylor (1912 -2007) was born on the outskirts of Karnak, Texas. She received the nickname Lady Bird from her nursemaid, Alice Tittle, who reportedly said she was as "pretty as a ladybird". Her nickname practically replaced her name Claudia for the rest of her life. Her parents and brothers called her Lady and her husband called her Bird, the name that appears on her marriage license.

She earned a bachelor's degree in arts and journalism from the University of Texas. With her father, she learned much about the business world. Lady Bird was very well educated for her time, and proved to be a good businesswoman and successful investor.

She met Lyndon B. Johnson in early 1934. In November of that same year, they were married. She helped in Lyndon's political career as a partner, confidant, and helpmate. As wife of the Vice President (January 1961-November 1963), she was an ambassador of goodwill and visited 33 foreign countries.

On November 22, 1963, she and her husband were accompanying President Kennedy in Dallas in another car when Kennedy was assassinated. Lady Bird was the First Lady of the USA from November 1963 to January 1969. Among other activities, she created the "First Lady's Committee for a More Beautiful Capital" and expanded it to the entire nation. Lady Bird said: "Where flowers bloom, so does hope".

Answer: Gerald Ford

Leslie Lynch King Jr. (1913- 2006) was born in Nebraska, where his parents lived with his paternal grandparents. His parents separated sixteen days after his birth when his mother took the infant and went to live with her family. In 1917 Leslie's mother married Gerald Rudolff Ford, who did not adopt his stepson but always presented him as Gerald Rudolff Ford Jr. Only in 1935 was the name change formalized.

Ford was involved with Boys Scouts of America and was a star athlete and captain of the football team. According to Ford, his experiences in football helped him handle problems he faced during his presidency. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II in 1946, Ford became active in the Republican Party. He held several positions and when Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford, who was House Minority Leader, was nominated to serve as Vice President of the United States (December 1973 - August 1974). Ford was the first person nominated as Vice President under the terms of the 25th Amendment. In August 1974, following President Nixon's resignation, Ford assumed the presidency, a position he held until January 1977.

Answer: Vin Diesel

Mark Sinclair (1967-) is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. He was raised by his mother and his adoptive African-American father, Irving H. Vincent, an acting instructor and theater manager, who gave the boy his first roles in his career. As a teenager, he continued acting and attended NYC's Hunter College, where he studied creative writing.

He acted in numerous films and is especially known for his performance in the "Fast and Furious" series, where he played the charismatic street car racer-thief Dominic Toretto. He starred in many other action pieces in cinema, television, and video games.

Sinclair adopted his stage name still in his teens while working as a bouncer at a New York nightclub. He felt it necessary to have a name more compatible with his role: Vin Diesel. Vin comes from his stepfather's surname Vincent, and Diesel came from his friends because he was very excitable.