Whoopi Goldberg

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Real Name: Caryn Elaine Johnson

The story behind Whoopi’s stage name is a pretty stinky one. Apparently she was known to gleefully let out a fart or two, so her friends used to compare her to a whoopee cushion.

Woody Allen

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Real Name: Allen Konigsberg

It took Allen a while to settle with his name. At the age of 17 he legally changed his name to Heywood Allen and then decided to use Woody Allen as his stage one.

Helen Mirren

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Real Name: Ilyena Vasilievna Mironoff

Helen Mirren’s grandfather left Russia during the Revolution and his son, Helen’s father, decided to give the family’s last name an English spin, changing Mironoff to Mirren. Helen is also an Anglicized version of common Russian name Ilyena.