25 celebrities whose real names will surprise you

WESTWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 13: Natalie Portman attends the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ‘Annihilation’ at Regency Village Theatre on February 13, 2018 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Natalie Portman (Neta-Lee Hershlag)

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman wasn’t always Natalie Portman. When she was born in Israel to an Israeli father and American mother; she was Neta-Lee Hershlag.

After landing her first major role in Léon: The Professional, Natalie opted to use her maternal grandmother’s last name of Portman while doing any professional (pun not intended) work. Why the name change? It wasn’t because she was ashamed of her Israeli heritage or feared sounding too “foreign.” Instead, she actually took on the stage name in case she didn’t do a good job in the film.

She went on to keep the surname “Portman” to maintain some type of privacy for her family, but clearly, she didn’t anticipate just how huge of a superstar she would soon become! After all, she has an iconic role in Star Wars and even some appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Jane Foster.