Throughout the history of Western entertainment, many performers of Asian descent have changed their names to better fit industry standards and appeal to wider audiences. These changes often involved using simpler English first names or shorter last names. These decisions were frequently influenced by what their agents thought would help them get cast in more roles. Here are some well-known examples in film, TV, and music.
Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji in England. He started using the name Ben Kingsley in the late 1960s when he began acting, as it was easier to get auditions with a shorter, English name at a time when few roles were available for actors of South Asian descent. He officially changed his name legally as his career progressed, and his early theater work shows him credited as both Bhanji and Kingsley.
Kal Penn
Kalpen Suresh Modi began using the name Kal Penn when he started acting for TV and film in the early 2000s. He changed his last name to make it easier for casting directors to find him and to better match typical Western name spellings. He’s said he received more auditions after making the switch. Initially, his acting credits appeared under both his original and new names, but he eventually standardized his professional name as Kal Penn.
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam, but she simplified her name when she started doing comedy. She shortened her last name to Kaling because it was easier for people to say and remember, and she went by Mindy instead of Vera when performing. Old posters from her early shows show this change.
Pat Morita
Born Noriyuki Morita in California, he became known professionally as Pat Morita. “Pat” started as a childhood nickname and eventually became the name he used for most of his acting work. Film studios generally preferred using the simpler name “Pat” in promotional materials, though he was sometimes credited as Noriyuki Pat Morita.
Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was born Wong Liu Tsong in Los Angeles. She began using the name Anna May Wong as a teenager because it was easier for studios to use in films during the silent movie era and the early days of talkies. Industry papers often listed her as “Anna May” when announcing casting decisions, and official records show she used both her birth name and stage name while working on international projects.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan was born Chan Kong Sang in Hong Kong. He started going by Jackie Chan after working in Australia, where his colleagues nicknamed him Jackie. This English name first appeared on international movie posters and promotional materials, making it easier to distribute his films in English-speaking countries. From the late 1970s onward, his Hong Kong films began crediting him as Jackie Chan.
Jet Li
Li Lianjie, born in Beijing, began using the shorter name Jet Li for international releases. This single-syllable nickname was simpler to use in marketing materials like posters and trailers for foreign audiences. Initially, American publicity only used the name Jet. However, in Asia, some film credits continued to include his birth name, Lianjie, along with his stage name.
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh was born Yeoh Choo Kheng in Malaysia. Early in her career in Hong Kong, she briefly used the name Michelle Khan, aiming for a more Westernized screen persona. However, by the mid-1990s, she consistently used Yeoh in her film credits, which also remained her legal family name.
Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan was born in Vietnam and initially used the name Jonathan Ke Quan at the beginning of his acting career. This name appeared in casting materials and on TV listings during the 1990s. He later went back to using Ke Huy Quan for all his work, and that’s the name he uses for awards and with actors’ unions today.
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan was born in India and grew up in the United States, but he became known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan. The name ‘Night’ actually started as a nickname he’d had for years, going back to his film school days. Using initials and a nickname was a common way for filmmakers to be credited in Hollywood, and his early, independent films reflect this standard practice.
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury wasn’t born with that name. He was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar to parents of Parsi Indian heritage. He started going by Freddie Mercury in school, and officially changed his name to Freddie Mercury in the early 1970s, before his band became famous. All his record and publishing credits then used the name Mercury.
Tia Carrere
Althea Rae Janairo, born in Hawaii to a Filipino family, chose the stage name Tia Carrere when she began her career in modeling and acting. ‘Carrere’ was shorter and easier to remember for TV credits. While some casting lists in the late 1980s still showed both her birth and stage names, early publicity photos only used ‘Tia Carrere’.
Merle Oberon
As a classic film buff, I always found Merle Oberon fascinating. What many don’t realize is she wasn’t actually born with that name! She was born Estelle Merle O’Brien Thompson in India. Back then, the film industry had really strict rules about who could play certain roles, so she used ‘Merle Oberon’ as a stage name to hide her South Asian heritage. The studio completely manufactured a new backstory for her in the 30s, but thankfully, records eventually surfaced confirming where she really came from and her true family history.
Sabu
Sabu Dastagir, originally from India, became known simply as Sabu when he worked in Hollywood. This single name was used to avoid highlighting his South Asian heritage on promotional materials. While contracts and publicity featured only ‘Sabu,’ official shipping documents for international filming continued to list his full birth name.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was born Lee Jun Fan in San Francisco. He was called Bruce from a very young age, a name suggested by a doctor. As he began appearing on American television, “Bruce Lee” became his standard professional name, making it easier for American audiences to recognize him. When he worked on films in Hong Kong, his credits often included his Chinese birth name alongside “Bruce.”
If you know of any other examples that should be included, please share them in the comments to help everyone learn more about this topic.
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2025-11-17 01:45