Surprise, These Celebrities Actually Have the Same Name

Dan Levy

"Once a year we meet up and agree to keep having the same name," American comedian Dan Levy wrote on Instagram in June 2022, captioning a photo of himself with the Canadian Schitt's Creek star who was also born Daniel Levy.

However, there is a key difference.

"My name is Dan 'Lee-vy,'" the funnyman born to Linda and Elliott, not Eugene and Deborah, emphasized during a standup set (and probably more than one). "I have to be clear, I'm not Dan 'Leh-vy.' It gets confusing. Even for me, I get his emails."

Michael B. Jordan, Michael Jordan

Michael B. Jordan was named after his dad, Michael A. Jordan—"He didn’t really realize what he was going to put me through the first 26 years of my life," the actor quipped on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2013—but he has always felt compelled to be like Mike.

"I want to compete in anything I do," the Creed star told Men's Health in 2018. "That came from my name. Growing up in sports and having a name like Michael Jordan and being teased, I had to compete. I couldn’t be the guy with the name and not be good at it. That carried over to everything. I’m like, I’ve got to be just as great if not greater than he was in his field."

He didn't even want to meet the six-time NBA champion unless they could stand proverbially eye to eye.

"I never want to officially meet him until I’m at a point where he knows who I am and I know who he is," the actor explained. "And it would be our mutual respect thing. Until then it would just be a ‘this guy has your name, ha ha.’ I don’t want that. So that pushes me to keep working too. These things motivate me."

Albert Einstein, Albert Brooks

The prolific actor, writer and comedian known as Albert Brooks had his reasons for not going by his real name, Albert Einstein.

Not least to avoid theories of relativity.

But the Broadcast News star, born in 1947, was indeed named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist.

"I asked [why]. Believe me, I asked," Brooks said on CBS Sunday Morning in 2024. "And all I got was, 'Ask your dad.' 'Ask your mom.' Nobody would tell me."

Steve McQueen

Oscar-winning British filmmaker Steve McQueen wasn't named after the American movie star, who died in 1980, but he very much digs sharing such an iconic moniker.

"Well, my name came from Steven in [U.S. TV series] Peyton Place," the director told Empire in 2024. "And then, when I was born, the nurses were all, 'Oh, how’s Steve doing?' My mum was like, 'It’s Steven, not Steve.' But Bullitt came out in ’68 and I was born in ’69. I remember going to see The Magnificent Seven with my father, because Westerns in the West Indian community were huge. We’re talking mid-1970s, at the Hammersmith Odeon. I remember the carpeted walls, touching them—and hearing that theme tune and then you see your name come up on screen...That was amazing."

He continued, "People ask me if I ever thought of changing my name, but...I don’t get into this fame business, to be honest. That’s when you get stupid."

Davy Jones, David Bowie

Davy Jones of The Monkees was born David Jones—and so was David Bowie.

David Thomas Jones, who was two years older, hailed from Manchester. And David Robert Jones, who came from London (not outer space), picked Bowie as his stage name in 1965 so as not to be confused with his fellow daydream believer.

He got Bowie from the American cowboy character Jim Bowie, played by Richard Widmark in 1960's The Alamo, according to John Lyon's America in the British Imagination: 1945 to the Present. 

Chris Evans

Chris Evans, the British TV and radio personality, has 15 years on Chris Evans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that didn't stop people less familiar with the former from thinking Captain America had been tapped to host the U.K.'s Top Gear in 2015.

Adam Scott

At first, Parks and Recreation alum Adam Scott wanted to sever his connection to the Australian golfer Adam Scott.

"'Hey, who is his caddie, Nick Offerman?'" the actor quipped on Conan in 2013, teeing off on the many jokes cracked at his expense after his athlete counterpart won the Masters. "'I can't believe anyone could mix up the two Adam Scotts. They're Poehler opposites.' And, 'Hey Adam, you know what's below par? Your acting.'"

Scott added, "My life has become hell. So, America, and I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I mean this with nothing but love in my heart, but please, can everyone shut the hell up? Thank you."

In 2016, however, he embraced the ready-made comedy of it all, producing and starring in the "Adult Swim Golf Classic," for which he trotted out "a very subtle Australian accent."

Randy Jackson

During his tenure as a judge on American Idol, Randy Jackson regularly invoked Michael Jackson as one of the all-time great artists.

But it's unclear if the Journey bassist has ever met the late King of Pop's youngest brother and Jackson 5 member Randy Jackson—who was actually born Steven Randall Jackson, the ninth of Joe Jackson and Katherine Jackson's 10 children.

Chris Martin

Though anyone named Chris Martin would do well to put "not in Coldplay" in his Instagram bio, the English comedian of the same name actually did it.

And neither of them are the veteran footballer Chris Martin, who's been a forward for the EFL League One's Bristol Rovers since 2023.

Mandy Moore

The Mandy Moore who is the Emmy-winning choreographer of So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars and La La Land fame named her company Nope Not Her, which is also her Instagram handle.

And that's "not her" as in not Mandy Moore, the Emmy-nominated alum of This Is Us, A Walk to Remember and Chasing Liberty.

To further untangle herself from the actress, the dancer born Samantha Jo Moore is registered with the Screen Actors Guild—which doesn't allow multiple performers with the same professional name—as Mandy Jo Moore.

Michael Keaton, Michael Douglas

Speaking of SAG rules, that's why Michael Keaton, and not Michael John Douglas, starred in Beetlejuice and Batman.

When he was up-and-coming, Keaton didn't register with the guild using his real last name because the actor we all know as Michael Douglas already existed. (And that's the Wall Street star's real name, though his father Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch.)

"I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” Keaton told People in 2024, reminscing about how he picked his stage name. "I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.'"

He and Douglas "laughed about it" a long time ago, the Spotlight actor told E! News in 2024. "Because one time he got something, I think from some hospital or something, and he went, ‘What?!’ And they got the things messed up."

Mark Wahlberg and Mark L. Walberg

Antiques Roadshow and Temptation Island host Mark L. Walberg clarifies in his Instagram bio that he's "The TV host- not the actor with the hamburgers."

And Mark Wahlberg goes to sleep before either of those shows is on.

Anthony Edwards

Kate Hudson, Katy Perry

Michelle Williams

Yes, Destiny's Child alum Tenitra "Michelle" Williams sometimes gets mail meant for Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams. 

"Alright, it says, ‘Dear Michelle Williams, I hope this letter finds you in great spirits,'" the singer shared one such missive in a March 2025 Instagram video. "'My name is Philip, and I have been an avid fan of your incredible performances in both film and theater.’”

Since the sweet fan had asked for an autograph for his daughter, this Williams didn't want to wait to remedy the situation.

“This is absolutely brilliant,” she noted. “Yes, Michelle knows what's going on as well, and I cannot wait to see her. Hopefully sooner than later. It's being worked out."

The artists finally met in April, when the Dawson's Creek alum caught the other Michelle Williams on Broadway in Death Becomes Her. The singer pretended that she was about to autograph the actress' headshots, before her video panned over to reveal the Emmy winner next to her.

"Who should I make it out to?" the Fosse/Verdon star asked. The "Say My Name" singer requested, "Would you make them out to me?!"