Acting legend Natalie Portman, famous for 'Star Wars' and her surprisingly foul-mouthed appearances as a rapper on 'Saturday Night Live', doesn't on the surface appear to have a false name; there's nothing bold or pretentious about it. That's because it's rooted in reality. She's really called Natalie, and her chosen second name is actually her grandmother's maiden name. She'd been working within the industry under her real name, but when she got her first movie role in 'The Professional', she decided it was the right time to change it.
There were two reasons as to why. Firstly, she wanted to protect her family's privacy. At the time, she was able to walk down the street without being recognized, but she knew that the film role would change all that. Secondly, her real second name is 'Hershlag'. It's not as catchy as Portman, and unfortunately it sounds very close to quite a rude insult in British slang, making it unsuitable for use on the global stage!
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.