22 Things You Need for Throwing Your First Dinner Party

The holidays are here, and that means dinner parties galore. If you’re the type who loves to host OR if you’re throwing your first dinner party ever, we’re sharing lots of fun things to give a new spin on your infamously awesome dinner shindigs. If you’re more of the “I avoid hosting like the plague” type but somehow got roped in, we’ve got essentials to reduce your stress and amp up your excitement for the big event.

1. Full Alphabet Cake Topper ($32): If pre-made cake toppers can’t quite capture the essence of what you want to convey, try this alphabet cake topper and spell out anything you’d like.

2. Elephant Balloon Weight ($8): You’ve gotta keep your balloons grounded, and there’s no reason not to do it in style. Tie balloons to its trunk, tail and feet or just place his toes on top of your balloon strings and invite your guests to snag a balloon for themselves.

3. Party Balloons ($12): Speaking of balloons, this set of seven party-themed balloons is adorably on point for any celebration you can imagine. Always feel free to give ’em a little customization with a gold or silver paint pen.

4. Bay Bridge Towel ($14): Everyone has a kitchen towel hanging from their oven or fridge, but not so many have one that’s this cool. Think of it as an easy way to add style to your kitchen.

5. Biere Glasses ($52): The golden block lettering and exquisite shape of this set of four beer glasses make for some classy beer-drinking time. Just think of how good they’ll look filled with some delicious pumpkin ale.

6. Flower Confetti ($14): Confetti = great. Litter = not so great. This eco-friendly flower petal confetti solves that problem and adds some extra whimsical glam. Try setting a table in an all-white theme and popping a couple of these open (or let your guests shoot them off across the table) for some DIY decoration.

7. Fifty Shades of Chicken Cookbook ($20): We love the tongue-in-cheek premise of this book. It’s sure to get a laugh out of your guests as well as serve up some seriously delicious chicken recipes.

8. Coast Coasters ($32): From New York to LA and everywhere in between, there’s something for everyone with this set of Coast Coasters. Get crafty and draw dots on the places you want to go while you plan your next adventure over drinks.

9. “Homemade” Cookie Stamp ($8): Eliminate any confusion and celebrate the delicious hard work you do for your beloved guests. Plus, we’re always looking for excuses to put a stamp on it.

10. Brown Ale Beer Brewing Kit ($45): Why not fill the beautiful Biere glasses we mentioned above with some toasty homemade brown ale? Wow your guests (or even just your beau if it’s a dinner for two) with your fermentation skills.

11. Glitter Cake Pops ($6): Bite-sized cake and edible glitter? There’s really nothing better. They look tres chic on almost any serving tray, but try perching them atop a killer cake stand to really let them shine.

12. Golden Cocktail Shaker ($36): Finally, here’s a cocktail shaker as fabulous as you are. Highlight your creative and delicious liquid confections from the moment you prepare and pour them.

13. Party Time Headband ($14): No doubt about it: You’re about to have a good time, and this headband says it all for you. If you and your crew are headed out for a night on the town after dinner, these pink beauties are sure to stir up good times.

14. Pineapple Ice Cube Tray ($10): No proper dinner party is complete without festive ice to go along with it. While these are perfect for summer barbecues and picnics, they’re also a simple way to add a summery vibe to your winter gatherings.

15. Jalapeno Margarita Mix ($8): Yes, please! This slightly sweet, slightly tart mix has just the right amount of heat to give a good kick, but not knock your socks off. Add tequila and enjoy!

16. Letter Balloon ($12): Our thoughts exactly. Spell out anything you can think of with these individual letter balloons. Try “Oui” for Bastille day, or initials for a friend’s birthday bash.

17. Rose Dinner Napkins ($48): This set of four dinner napkins sports the perfect combo: pretty colors and fun designs. Each quadrant of the napkin has its own design, so you can mix ‘n mach or go for cohesion — whatever you’re feelin’ that day.

18. Hangover Prevention Cocktail Fortifier ($13): Trust us — your guests will thank you later. Simply add a drop or two to your lively libations and stop hangovers before they start.

19. DIY Sushi Kit ($20): If you’re going for a Japanese-themed dinner but don’t want to settle for takeout, this DIY sushi kit is here to save the day. Follow the detailed instructions found in the kit and you’ll be a sushi master in no time. If you want your guests to share in the fun, just prep the sushi and rice beforehand — all that’s left is the rolling, laughing and eating.

20. Tinsel Garland ($45): Nothing says party time like tinsel. Save yourself the stress and hassle and spring for these pre-made tinsel garlands. Just string ’em up and party on, Garth.

21. Serving Utensil Set ($12): Serving up salad has never looked so good. The contrast of the subtle colors of the handle with the light wood is absolutely stunning.

22. Watercolor Cake Kit ($34): Let dessert steal the show with this watercolor cake kit. Make one yourself and wow your guests or host a watercolor cake dinner party and everyone can make their own!

Which one of these essentials has you planning your next dinner bash? Let us know in the comments!

After only two episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 4, Hulu renewed the series for season 5! I'm so excited that the show breaks a recent pattern of cancelling shows after the third or fourth season, giving us more time with our favorite characters, and I'm not the only one.

"Here we go again… my favorite set family. I’m coming home!" Selena Gomez says in an Instagram post, while the official Only Murders account made their own post, saying, "We had our lawyers call business affairs. Turned the 4 into a 5. #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding is coming back for Season 5!!"

Here's everything you need to know about Only Murders in the Building season 5, coming to Hulu soon.

What is Only Murders in the Building season 5 about?

Patrick Harbron/Disney

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Plot

We finally got our first details about Only Murders season 5 — and we're going in a direction I totally didn't expect. When Sofia visits Mabel and Charles in the season 4 ending, and asks them to find her missing husband, she's disappointed when they turn her down. And since Téa Leoni just joined the season 5 cast, it looks like she's not taking no for an answer.

“I think she’s the great tease at the end of the finale and a little bit of an intriguing bump forward,” co-creator John Hoffman says in an interview with Deadline. “She’s an extension of the little news report in Episode 9 that Mabel makes note of at the hospital. [Sofia] is the wife of the Dry Cleaning King of Brooklyn, and maybe a couple of dry cleaning outlets in Manhattan, as well, we may come to know...It’s a world opened up potentially that we haven’t talked about too much yet in New York, so she holds a lot of intrigue.”

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

New York's underground is a wild space that we haven't really seen on Only Murders yet so I know we're in for one very interesting season — because if this show is going to go there, they're going to go there.

Executive producer Dan Fogelman told The Wrapwe can look forward to “another big fun mystery the writers have been cooking up," while Hoffman has gone on the record saying the new episodes will “hit on some very current things going on within New York, specifically very relevant things that are happening in the city right now.”

When is Only Murders in the Building season 5 coming out?

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Release Date

According to The Wrap, Only Murders is looking to begin production on season 5 in March of 2025. Considering we've had a new season over the last four years (with season 1 in 2021, season 2 in 2022, season 3 in 2023, and season 4 in 2024), we're expecting to see season 5 in 2025. Stay tuned for the official Only Murders in the Building season 5 release date.

Who's in Only Murders in the Building season 5?

Eric McCandless/Disney

Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Cast

The cast of Only Murders in the Building includes Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin. Téa Leoni will also return as Sofia Caccimelio, whose husband Nicky has gone missing.

According to Dan Fogelman, “we can expect more big guest stars that’ll probably be announced sooner rather than later,” he tells The Wrap.

Season 3 featured Ashley Park, Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, and Jesse Williams, while season 4 stars Streep, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, Kumail Nanjiani, Desmin Borges, Siena Werber, Lilian Rebelo, and Molly Shannon.

"I am so grateful that I have been surrounded by human beings that make me better, challenge me, remind me day after day that every moment is a gift," Selena Gomez says about working with Martin and Short. "That’s my pure joy. I thank god for the era I’m in. It’s been the best yet."

Will there be an Only Murders in the Building season 5?

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Yes, Only Murders in the Building has been renewed for season 5! On September 4, Variety confirmed the next installment will have 10 episodes, just like the seasons before it. The latest season premiered on Hulu August 27, and will last until October 29 (just in time to try out an Only Murders Halloween costume!)

Just like the season 3 ending set up season 4, we'll have to wait for the October finale to figure out what kind of mayhem Mabel, Oliver, and Charles will get into next season. "We hope you like it!" Selena Gomez says in the Only Murders in the Building account's announcement, while Martin Short adds, "How exciting is that?"

"We're so exciting to be coming back," Steve Martin says. We're excited too!!

Check back here for the latest Only Murders in the Building season 5 news and check out the other new TV shows coming in 2025.

This post has been updated.

If you're a loyal fan of Yellowstone and its gripping mix of drama, family dynamics, and Western grit, then you're probably familiar with the genius behind the show: Taylor Sheridan.

As both a writer and director with a ranching background, he's perfected a unique style that blends heart-pounding action with complex characters.

But while Yellowstone has undoubtedly made its mark on television, Taylor's talents extend beyond the small screen. If you can't get enough of his storytelling, here are six Taylor Sheridan films you need to check out.

Scroll to see which Taylor Sheridan movies you should watch if you love YellowstoneASAP!

Lionsgate

1. Sicario (2015)

Sicario is one of Taylor Sheridand's standout works. This crime thriller features FBI agent Kate Macer, played by Emily Blunt, as she's selected for a top-secret task force to win the war on drugs. She goes to the United States-Mexico border to tackle the cartel, working alongside a team of shadowy operatives.

Much like Yellowstone, Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, thrives on suspense, intense violence, and morally complex characters.

CBS Films

2. Hell or High Water (2016)

If you're looking for a Sheridan film that most closely mirrors the world of Yellowstone, this movie might be the answer.

Hell or High Water is a neo-Western that follows Toby, a father struggling to save his family's ranch from foreclosure, who teams up with his ex-convict brother to rob banks in a desperate attempt to keep their land.

It blends classic Western themes with modern drama and explores deep family bonds amidst the harsh realities of financial hardship.

Acacia Filmed Entertainment

3. Wind River (2017)

Taylor Sheridan both wrote and directed Wind River, which features Cory Lamber (Jeremy Renner), a wildlife officer, and FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) as they investigate the murder of a young woman on a Native American reservation.

This film marked his directorial debut and showed off his skill in blending suspense with themes of prejudice, Native American struggles, and the violence of the American West.

Lionsgate

4. Sicario: Day Of The Soldado (2018)

In this follow-up to the original Sicario, agents Matt Graver and Alejandro Gillick return to the United States-Mexico border when the cartel starts smuggling terrorists into the U.S. The situation escalates when the agents kidnap the kingpin's daughter as leverage.

This sequel definitely didn't receive the same love as its predecessor, but Sicario: Day Of The Soldado is still a strong Saturday night movie pick for people who love storylines and character types like those in Yellowstone.

New Line Cinema

5. Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Those Who Wish Me Dead follows Connor, a boy who's on the run from two hitmen during a wildfire. He teams up with a female smokejumper, trying to contain the flames as the killers pursue them.

This action-packed thriller has some of the same rural charm that fans love about Yellowstone, but presents a totally different narrative. It's tense, rated R, and stars Finn Little, Angelina Jolie, and Jake Weber, just to name a few.

Paramount+

6. Finestkind (2023)

Last but not least, Finestkind is based on two brothers from opposite sides of the tracks who reunite during adulthood in Boston. As they grapple with personal struggles, they turn to an organized crime syndicate for help and end up in a risky situation.

Given its urban setting and different character types, this movie might not seem anything like Yellowstone. Nonetheless, it shares key themes of family and moral conflict. Oh, and did we mention Jenna Ortega's (Wednesday, You) in it?!

Looking for more entertainment recs? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Audiences loved the way Greta Gerwig's Little Women brought all four March sisters to life, and Netflix's Anne with an E became so popular that when the show was canceled after season 3, 1.7 million fans signed a petition to revive the series. It all just proves that classic adaptations can make the original story even more powerful.

And the newest movie based on a book is going to be one we think about forever — and not just because of its cast. Emerald Fennell (who you'll recognize from The Crown and her work as writer & director on Satburn) is adapting Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are leading the cast!

The book, published in 1847, continues to grip readers, and it's become the blueprint for moody complexity — just like Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman, which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay thanks to its scathing look at sexual assault. Well, the Em's are coming together for this new adaptation.

Here's everything we know about Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights — and your first look at the movie.

Here's Your First Look At 'Wuthering Heights'

The first look at Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is getting some seriously mixed reactions. The photo features a close-up image of someone (maybe Margot Robbie's) with their fingers and a few blades of grass in their mouth.

"CAN NOT WAIT," one Instagram user said, along with a couple fire emojis. But the intimate (and somewhat shocking) image also has some users asking, "what in the saltburn?"

Is Wuthering Heights going to be in theaters?

Focus Features

It appears director Emerald Fennell and producer Margot Robbie are pushing for a theatrical release, which is why they've reportedly turned down a Netflix offer of $150 million.

Despite the fact Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said theatrical releases are "just not our business," and the company has stuck to at-home streaming instead, they did break that pattern for Knives Out: Glass Onion in 2022. The movie appeared in around 600 theaters the day before Thanksgiving, but left a week later ahead of its December 23 debut on the streamer.

Co-CEO Reed Hastings told The Hollywood Reporter that keeping the movie in theaters could have made Netflix more money, but later said they just wanted to "break through the noise" and get movie lovers excited for the film to come to Netflix.

All that to be said, Margot Robbie (whose Barbie made over $1 billion worldwide) and Emerald Fennell (whose Promising Young Woman nabbed her an Oscar win and two other nominations) know how to capture the imaginations of movie lovers everywhere. And it could definitely be in their favor to stick to a theatrical release. Stay tuned for official news on where you can watch Wuthering Heights!

Who's in the new Wuthering Heights movie?

Frazer Harrison/Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Wuthering Heights Cast

The Wuthering Heights movie will be led by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, respectively. Margot will also produce with her production company LuckyChap, which worked behind the scenes on Emerald Fennell's Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.

While some fans were initially excited about the casting, others were concerned about the fact that in the book, Heathcliff is described as "dark skinned." He also tells Nelly that, "I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed, and behaved as well, and had a chance of being as rich as he will be!" Um, it looks like Jacob Elordi definitely has fair skin to me.

"Heathcliff is described as a dark-skinned brown man in the book and a major plot point is that he was subjected to racist abuse by his adopted family," one tweet (which has over 8 million views) says. "But yeah sure Jacob Elordi is perfect!"

Another says, "Film studios will say 'We are committed to diverse casting' and then cast Jacob Elordi to play Heathcliff, one of the more famous people of color in literature, whose race is crucial to both his character and the story."

Check back here to see who will play characters like Edgar Linton, Nelly Dean, Isabella Linton, and Lockwood.

When is Wuthering Heights coming out?

Warner Bros. Pictures

Wuthering Heights Release Date

Wuthering Heights will premiere on February 14, 2026. Happy Valentine's Day!

What is Wuthering Heights about?

Amazon

Wuthering Heights Plot

Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights follows the Earnshaws and the Lintons, who are living in the Yorkshire Moors in the 1880s. Their lives change forever when the Earnshaws take in Heathcliff. Like any good dramatic novel, passion lies beneath proper connections, marriages, and societal expectations — and despite Catherine and Heathcliffe's feelings for each other, they have to choose between security and love.

Check out 16 New Movies Based On Books To Add To Your Watchlist to inspire your next movie night!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

Bridgerton season 4 might not be coming until 2026, but thanks to a special first look, we have just enough to tide us over (although, is there really ever enough to tide us over? I need full episodes STAT!!). In honor of her new movie Picture This (on Prime Video now), Simone Ashley talked about returning for Bridgerton season 4 — and teased a special reunion I can't wait for.

Here's what Simone Ashley said about Picture This and Bridgerton season 4 in Brit + Co's exclusive interview.

Simone Ashley says 'Bridgerton' season 4 "feels like home."

We already had confirmation that Simone Ashley would return to Bridgerton season 4 as Kate Sharma, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask if she could tease what's in store for viewers. "I can't tease anything, but I can say I was filming a couple of weeks ago, with the girls," she tells Brit + Co. "I'm super excited to be back on the show. I'm so grateful for everything that that show has given me, and whenever I go back it, it just feels like home."

Okay, Simone might have said she couldn't tease anything but if you ask me "filming with the girls" is a tease in and of itself! I'm hoping we see Kate, Eloise, and Penelope get some serious girl time after all the drama during season 3. Kate was able to give Eloise some beautiful advice, and since season 4 focuses on Benedict's love story, I have my fingers crossed it'll be more or less smooth sailing for our favorite ladies.


Simone Ashley's character in Picture This, a portrait photographer named Pia, reminds me a lot of Kate. She's passionate, driven, and an eldest daughter who's constantly being told time is running out. When I ask Simone what she's excited about for the future, she admits she feels a mixture of anticipation and nerves.

"Yeah, I'm excited. And I'm gonna phrase it this way because I think excited is such a positive word and it's an amazing thing, but I think excited-scared is also a positive word," she says. "I'm excited-scared because so much mystery and change and possibilities that could happen in the future, right, that we don't know about."

However, she says that growing up and accepting the curve balls life throws at you is "like taking that jump for change."

"It's excited-scared, and then it's like when you jump into water and then you realize the water temperature's fine."

I couldn't agree more, Simone.

See Simone Ashley in Picture This, streaming on Prime Video now, and stay tuned for the latest Kate Sharma & Bridgerton season 4 updates! While you're waiting, go ahead and Meet The Bridgerton Season 4 Cast.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

It’s pretty common for celebrities to go by a stage name or a different moniker entirely when they’re trying to break into showbiz. Take musicians for example. Before the world knew her as Rihanna, everyone in her life simply knew as Robyn Rihanna Fenty. And the same goes for actors as well. Did you know that The Office alum Mindy Kaling was born Vera Mindy Chokalingam?(Yeah, I was today years old when I learned that.) Even certain members of the British royal family have chosen not to go by their first name, given their high profile status. What if I told you Kate Middleton’s full name is Catherine Elizabeth Middleton? I know right, shocker!

Keep reading to learn more about the 22 celebrities who don’t actually go by their real name — and the reason why.

1. Emma Stone

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Real Name: Emily Jean Stone

Back when Easy A alum Emma Stone was trying to break into the industry as an actress, she chose to go by a different name because there was already a person with the same moniker in the SAG.

So, in a 2017 interview with W Magazine, the Poor Things star shared that she wanted to go by Emily J. Stone, but decided against it. “So to ask a 16-year-old to pick a new name is really an interesting process, because I was like, ‘I’m going to be Riley’... And so my name was Riley Stone for about six months,” she told the publication at the time. “I changed it to Emma because you know it’s closer to Emily, but most people call me ‘M,’ that know me well.” Honestly, I think you could've pulled off the J, Emma.

2. Lady Gaga

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Real Name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Turns out, the Bad Romance singer wasn’t gaga for her real name when she decided to break into Hollywood. Before entering the music industry, Germanotta chose her stage name “Lady Gaga” after she was apparently inspired by the 1984 Queen single “Radio Gaga.” Huh, who would’ve thought?

3. The Weeknd

Wagner Meier/Getty Images for Live Nation

Real Name: Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

Years before the world knew him as “The Weeknd,” Tesfaye chose his professional name when he left home at a young age. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything segment, the singer revealed, "I left home when I was about 17 dropped out of high school and convinced [my friend] Lamar to do the same.”

He continued, “We grabbed our mattresses from our parents threw it in our friends sh—ty van and left one weekend and never came back home. It was gonna be the title of HOB [House of Balloons]. I hated my name at the time though so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the “e” because there was already a Canadian band named the weekend (copyright issues).”

4. Gigi Hadid

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Real Name: Jelena Hadid

In case you didn’t know, the proud mom went by “Gigi” early on in her childhood. (FYI: Gigi was also her mom’s childhood nickname too.) But in a 2015 interview with Vogue, Hadid shared that everyone started calling her “Gigi” once she started grad school.

“In first or second grade, there was a girl named Helena and it got confusing with the teacher who had to call out our names, and so the teacher asked my mom, ‘If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?’ And my mom was like, ‘I call her Gigi sometimes,’ and the name stuck,” the supermodel explained at the time.

5. Millie Bobby Brown

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Real Name: Millie Bonnie Brown (Bongiovi ;))

Millie Bobby Brown revealed in a The Electric State interview that her name is actually Millie Bonnie Brown, and that she created the stage name for "sh—ts and giggles."

"It's not Bobby," she says. "It's Millie Bonnie Brown...I've never told anyone that."

6. Brad Pitt

Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images

Real Name: William Bradley Pitt

Apparently, Brad Pitt is another celebrity who likes going by his middle name. But, according to Page Six, the longtime actor actually prefers introducing himself by his first name when he’s flirting with women.

7. Marilyn Monroe

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Real Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson

We're throwing it back with this celebrity name! Fun fact: Mortenson took the name Dougherty after her first marriage. But how did she come up with the name we're all so familiar with? Per Time, the beloved actress chose to say goodbye to her last name after a 20th Century Fox studio executive thought that there would be too many mispronunciations with her last name. So, she decided to drop her last name in exchange for her mom’s maiden name: Monroe. In addition, the exec gave her the name “Marilyn” because she reminded him of a 1920s Broadway star named Marilyn Miller.

8. Natalie Portman

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Real Name: Neta-Lee Hershlag

Originally, Portman was given a traditional Hebrew name before immigrating to the United States in 1984, where her family changed their surname to Portman. Then, the actress’s first name, Neta-Lee (which was her maternal grandmother’s maiden name) later became Natalie.

9. ​Cardi B

Catherine Powell/Getty Images for MTV

Real Name: Belcalis Almanzar

Though everyone knows her as Cardi B, her diehard fans can attest to the fact she was given a different name at birth. Born Belcalis Almanzar, her stage name is actually short for Bacardi (you know, like the rum). While appearing on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rapper shared the origin of her pseudonym.

“My sister's name is Hennessy,” the rapper told Fallon. “So everyone used to call me Bacardi, and I started calling myself Bacardi, which eventually was shortened to Cardi B.”

10. Chloe Bennet

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Real Name: Chloe Wong

While promoting her new show Interior Chinatown, Chloe Bennet sat down with Brit + Co and shared why she felt the need to go by a different name than what she was given at birth, which is Chloe Wong. “Early on in my career, my mixed race seemed to be so much more of a thing than I ever understood it as growing up,” the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D alum explained. “I come from a very diverse household and my dad is Chinese. I think I felt more Chinese than what the world perceived me as and that was a weird concept for me.”

The 32-year-old actress went on to share how she changed her surname to Bennet (aka her father’s name) on her resume and she started booking more roles. “I am still not Chloe Bennet. I am Chloe Wong,” she says in the interview.

11. Kit Harington

Amy Sussman/Getty Images for AFI

Real Name: Christopher Catesby Harington

Many of us are taught how to pronounce our given name from a very young age. But for Kit Harington, the Game of Thrones star wasn’t told his first name until he was 11 years old. In a 2014 interview with Glamour, the British actor explained how his parents refrained from telling his real name because “they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition.”

He continued, "My brother’s name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it’s just not used that often. My middle name is Catesby.”

12. ​Jamie Foxx

Joe Maher/Getty Images

Real Name: Eric Marlon Bishop

Did you know Eric Marlon Bishop chose his stage name “Jamie Foxx” when he first started doing stand up? Back in 2015, Foxx sat down with David Letterman and explained how he tried aiming for a “unisex name” when it came time for him to choose a professional alias.

“I noticed that like 1,000 guys showed up and only three girls, but the three girls would always get a spot,” the singer and actor revealed when recounting the time he signed up for a slot in the standup lineup. “So I went to the list and wrote down a unisex name…Jamie Foxx.” And it looks like the name just stuck.

13. ​Lana Del Ray

Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

Until the age of 25, Lizzy (aka Elizabeth) Grant reinvented herself and took on a new name when she tried breaking into the music biz—and that’s how Lana Del Rey came to be. According to The Guardian, she not only changed her name, but her entire persona and image. #Iconic

​14. Bruno Mars

Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Real Name: Peter Gene Hernandez

Before he caught a grenade for us, the Finesse singer was called Bruno by his family because, when he was a baby, he resembled the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. But when it came to his last name, the Hawaiian-born musician thought it would be best to drop it and adopt the Mars surname. “Your last name’s Hernandez, maybe you should do this Latin music, this Spanish music...Enrique's so hot right now,” he jokes in a 2013 interview with GQ.

​15. Demi Moore

Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount+

Real Name: Demetria Guynes

Long before she starred in The Substance, the longtime actress (born Demetria Guynes) tied the knot with rock star Freddy Moore at the age of 17 and took his last name. Though the marriage ended after four-and-a-half years, she’s been known as Demi Moore ever since.

16. ​John Legend

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: John Roger Stephens

Tonight’s the night that…you’re going to learn how John Legend got his stage name! In a 2008 interview with MTV News (via People), the EGOT winner shared the story behind how he came up with his professional name. “John Legend is a nickname that some friends started calling me, and it kind of grew into my stage name,” he said at the time. “‘Legend’ is something that I never would have chosen for myself originally. It grew to the point where more people in my circle would know me by that name than by my real name.”

17. Miley Cyrus

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Real Name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Don’t worry, Destiny Hope Cyrus can buy herself flowers! As it turns out, the Grammy-award winner’s stage name dates back to her childhood, when her family would call her “Smiley,” which ultimately turned into “Miley.” And the rest is history.

18. Halsey

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Real Name: Ashley Frangipane

Turns out, Halsey’s stage name is not anagram of her first name, Ashley. Back in 2015, the singer sat down with VEVO and revealed that she was inspired by Halsey Street in Brooklyn, where she would spend weekends making music with her friend.

19. Meg Ryan

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Real Name: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra

Apparently "Meg Ryan Fall" isn't a totally accurate moniker because Meg's real name is Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra! Meg is a common nickname for Margaret, but she got Ryan from her maternal grandmother's maiden name.

20. Nina Dobrev

Francois Durand/Getty Images

Real Name: Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva

Originally born Nikolina in Bulgaria, our favorite Vampire Diaries star (and recent fiancée!) adopted "Nina" for her stage name because she reportedly figured it would be easier for fans to remember.

21. Reese Witherspoon

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Real Name: Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon

Speaking of Jeane's, did you know Reese Witherspoon's name is actually Laura Jeanne? Yup, according to Vogue, the Legally Blonde star took on her mom’s maiden name early on in her career and the moniker Reese Witherspoon was born. It's also why she only calls Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern "Dern."

22. ​Lucy Hale

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Real Name: Karen Lucille Hale

Lucy Hale has a secret…her full name is Karen Lucille Hale. As it turns out, the Pretty Little Liarsalum decided to ditch her first name and go by the nickname of her middle name: Lucy.

23. Meghan Markle

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Real Name: Rachel Meghan Markle

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Markle simply went by her first name: Rachel. But now, she goes by her middle name professionally. Markle is rarely addressed by her first name in public. However, an exception was made in 2018 when The Sun reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II blessed Markle’s marriage with now husband Prince Harry and addressed the duchess by her full name.

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This post has been updated.