The surprising real names of 45 top celebrities and the stories behind their stage names

Sometimes you need to change your name to make it as a star in Hollywood or the music business.

When Michael Keaton accepted his best actor Golden Globe for "Birdman," he told the crowd his birth name was actually Michael Douglas.

He changed his name early in his career to avoid confusion with the actor and TV host Mike Douglas. He is believed to have chosen Keaton because of comedian Buster Keaton.

Similarly, plenty of today's biggest stars don't go by their birth names, such as Reese Witherspoon, Mila Kunis, and Drake.

However, you probably aren't familiar with how they ended up with their current monikers.

Here are 45 stars who have changed their names: