It’s not unusual for celebrities to go by different names professionally. Emma Stone recently surprised fans when she revealed that her real name is actually Emily. She didn’t even really want to go by a fake name when she started acting; it’s just that her real name was already “taken” by another SAG-AFTRA actress. While Emma actually prefers the name Emily, other celebrities simply choose to go by fake names because they sound cooler. For example, Vin Diesel’s real name is Mark Sinclair and Alicia Keys’ name is actually Alicia Augello Cook.
And sure, Mark sounds nothing like “Vin Diesel.” But one celebrity recently surprised her fans when she disclosed that the name she has been going by throughout her career is not even the slightest bit similar to her real first name. During a recent interview with LADbible Entertainment, Reese Witherspoon revealed her real name, and it’s not what anyone — including her The Morning Show co-star Jennifer Aniston — expected.
As part of a segment that was meant to test how well the co-stars know each other, Jennifer was asked about Reese’s middle name. She was given three choices: A. Jane, B. Jeanne or C. Joan. Jennifer guessed Jane, but Reese said her middle name is actually Jeanne. Also, by the way, her first name isn’t actually Reese.
“I’m Laura Jeanne, that’s my real name,” Reese told Jennifer. Initially, Jennifer seemed surprised by Reese’s middle name, but she was even more confused when Reese said her first name is “Laura.” Jennifer questioned, “Laura?” Laughing, Reese confirmed that her real name is, indeed, Laura Jeanne.
Jennifer then asked the question everyone was thinking: “Who’s Laura?” She added, “What? Who the hell’s Laura? Wait, Laura Jeanne, I’m not calling you that from now on.”
Naturally, Jennifer asked Reese how she started going by Reese. “It’s my middle name,” Reese explained. “Laura-Jeanne Reese.” Still, Jennifer had more questions. “What made you go with Reese for your acting name?” she asked.
And it sounds like Reese has gone by her middle name in other contexts as well. She explained, “I didn’t change it, my name is just always Reese.”
