Hollywood icon chose unique stage name because of her farting habit-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

Whoopi Goldberg has spoken out over her decision to change her name (Picture: Getty)

Whoopi Goldberg has opened up about her decision to change her name before hitting the big time, revealing that she had an entirely different moniker in mind.

The 68-year-old, born Caryn Johnson, has been a staple of Hollywood for decades, having kicked off her one-woman show in the 1980s.

She has since gone on to dominate the box office with roles in the Lion King, Sister Act and Ghost – which earned her an Oscar for best supporting actress.

In her new memoir, Bits and Pieces, the EGOT-winner unpacked her career beginnings and the moment she picked a new identity, based on how much she farts.

‘Once I started getting parts in plays, I wanted a name that sounded more interesting. Caryn Johnson wasn’t it,’ she shared in the pages. ‘Some people at the Rep called me Whoopi because I would sometimes let loose with a fart. I added “Cush-ione” to it, with a French pronunciation.

‘Then, I got a review written by journalist Welton Jones. It was a good one, so I sent it to my mother. Later, when we talked on the phone, she said, “What is this Whoopi Cushione?”

“Well, it’s kind of my nickname. It’s like whoopee cushion with a little French accent.”’

‘She said, “Well, I picked that up. But why? Why Whoopi?” So, I explained to her the whole farting thing.’

While Whoopi was set on her first name, it was mom Emma Harris who suggested the addition of ‘Goldberg’, instead of Cushione.

‘”Well, if you’re going to change your name and want people to take you seriously, you need a more substantial name,” my mother advised me.

Whoopi shared her decision in the pages of her new memoir (Picture: Getty)

‘I said, “Oh, really, great namer of the stars? What do you think it should be?”

‘She said, “Well, you should take one of the names from the family tree. How about Goldberg? That has a nice ring to it.”

‘That became my name. Only my family and a few people who knew me early in my life still called me Caryn.’

Whoopi isn’t the only famous face to have change her moniker around before coming to fame – Katy Perry and Sir David Jason were forced to switch things around, while Emma Stone recently voiced her desire to go by Emily Stone.

Her mom helped guide her to Whoopi Goldberg (Picture: Getty)

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill recently shed light on the ‘embarrassing’ truth about his real identity, after being born Nigel Neill.

Appearing on the Kelly Clarkson show, the host shared her surprise over his name change, which he joked was ‘embarrassing’ for her to know.

‘I was christened Nigel Neill – that’s like my parents giving me a disadvantage from the start,’ he cleared up. ‘You never want to be called Nigel,’ he insisted. ‘It’s also called “Nigel No Mates,” you know, “Nigel No Friends.”

Sam Neill changed his name for similar reasons (Picture: Getty)

‘When I was 10, my best friend was called Nigel Nut – which is even worse – and I was Nigel Neill.

‘We liked Westerns, and we thought, “Let’s not just call ourselves Nigel, let’s have nickname.” So I was called Sam and he was called Bill, and that was the best decision I ever made.

‘There are no film actors called Nigel Neill, that’s never going to happen.’

And the rest is history…

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