There are many stars who don’t use their real names for their careers and instead use a stage name. In some cases, that's because their true name was already taken by another star, or they simply wanted to change their moniker for show business. (Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, was once asked to change his name.) One celebrity who doesn't use their real name is Whoopi Goldberg, and I just learned that revelation after she told a story about her mom on The View.
Via Decider, the hosts of the morning talk show recently debated the need for a new platform telling house hunters the political affiliations of potential neighbors. That led Whoopi Goldberg to share her take and an interesting story. She talked about how it wasn’t a good idea and recalled what her mom would tell her about politics while she was growing up. It was then that she casually dropped her birth name:
I was raised, you never asked anybody how they were voting. I would say, ‘Ma, who are you going to vote for?’ and she’d just give me that look. And she’d say to me, ‘Caryn, that’s nobody’s business.’
Yes, her first name is actually Caryn, with both Whoopi and Goldberg not even included anywhere in her real name. The EGOT was born Caryn Elaine Johnson, but "Whoopi Goldberg" has since become a household name that has gone on to become an even bigger name worldwide. Goldberg told The New York Times back in 2006 just why she decided to change her name, and the reasoning actually makes a lot of sense:
Here’s the thing. When you’re performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me. You are like a whoopee cushion. And that’s where the name came from.
Stage names are certainly not uncommon for both actors and musicians. Even John Mulaney wishes he used a stage name. And some are wanting to do away with their real names altogether, like Jonah Hill wanting to legally drop his last name. For Whoopi Goldberg, it seems like she wanted to let go of the past and usher in this new side of her. I can't believe I had no idea about this up until now, but I have to say this is a cool piece of trivia on one of Hollywood's most iconic actors.
This also isn't the first time that Goldberg has revealed a surprising tidbit on The View. In 2023, she admitted she couldn’t wait to get divorced every time she got married. The actress married Alvin Martin in 1973 and divorced in 1979 and married David Claessen in 1986 and divorced in 1988. She also tied the knot with Lyle Trachtenberg in 1994, and they divorced in 1995.
When it comes to professional names, some celebrities are opting to go back to their birth-given names. For example, Michael Keaton wants to change his surname back to "Douglas." I'm not sure if Whoopi Goldberg would want to go by Caryn Elaine Johnson at this point. And, if she did, I'm sure fans like myself would have to take some time to adjust, in order to appease her wishes.