7 Filipino Celebrities Who Don't Use Their Real Names

You might not know it, but your favorite stars actually go by a different name in real life. It's a pretty common practice in the entertainment industry to use stage names for several reasons. Some do it as advised by their agencies, especially when they think that your real name isn't all that memorable for the public. Others do it to reinvent themselves and separate their personal lives from their professional personas. Regardless of the reason, several household names in the industry are actually screen names—which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In case you're curious, we list down seven stars and their real names below.
Julia Montes
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Julia Montes' real name is Mara Hautea Schnittka and she is of German descent. According to her, the name Julia came about when she starred in Mara Clara alongside Kathryn Bernardo to prevent confusion as to who's playing who (Kathryn's character was named Mara while Julia, who's real name is Mara, played Clara). Montes was a surname that's relatively easier to pronounce and was given to her by her talent agency Star Magic.
Gabbi Garcia
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Gabbi's real name is Gabriella Louise Ortega Lopez. Years ago, she used to go by Gabrielle Garcia before just settling with Gabbi.
Alden Richards
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Alden's real name is Richard Reyes Faulkerson, Jr. In the early days of his career, he went by his real name and even his nickname, RJ.
Bea Alonzo
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The name Phylbert Angellie Ranollo Fagestrom might be too complex for most people to remember compared to the now-household name Bea Alonzo. She is half-British, half-Filipino.
Heart Evangelista
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While she's credited as Heart Evangelista in the films and shows she's starred in, Heart's birth name is Love Marie Ongpauco, which is what she uses for her artwork. It's also the name she uses for her YouTube channel.
Charlie Dizon
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The Fan Girl star is actually April Rose Dizon Matienzo in real life. Charlie was just the name given to her by ABS-CBN executive Charo Santos-Concio, which she ended up liking for its androgyny.
Sue Ramirez
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Sue's real name is Sue Anna Garina Dodd, but she goes by Sue Ramirez on-screen. Sue's father is American while her mom is Filipino.
This story originally appeared on Candymag.com. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.