Hollywood has a problem. A problem with names. If you are not American, or English (and even that is a problem sometimes), then chances are people have been butchering your name since forever. Irish, Afrikans, Indian, Eastern European, or really, anywhere that is not American, it won’t be a surprise for people to learn that even after decades, some celebrities have been called by names that is not really theirs.
Although some have been proficient since the beginning, and made sure their names are pronounced correctly, like Benedict Cumberbatch, some have not been able to get people to pronounce their names correctly even after being in the business for decades – like Charlize Theron. And some, like Timothée Chalamet, just don’t care what name you call them by.
Here are five celebrity names, including Charlize Theron, that you have probably been pronouncing wrong all this time.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron, while being interviewed by Piers Morgan, once revealed how her name should actually be pronounced. Saying her name in Afrikaans, she said that her name is actually pronounced as “Shar-lis Throne.”
Saoirse Ronan
We don’t blame you, Irish names are difficult to pronounce for anyone who is not an Irish themselves. Back in 2017, during her Saturday Night Live opening monologue, Saoirse Ronan tought everyone how to pronounced her name, which is “Sur-sha.”
Cillian Murphy
The most recent Oscar winner and another Irish on this list, Cillian Murphy‘s name has been mispronounced for years. The Peaky Blinders star went years before people were taught to say it correctly – which is “Kill-ian.”
Jake Gyllenhaal (& Maggie Gyllenhaal)
Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal have been part of the movie business since the 1990s. And still, even after 3 decades, people are mispronouncing their last name. Appearing on Conan in 2012, Jake Gyllenhaal said his last name is actually pronounced as “Yee-Len-Hey-Lo.”
Emily Ratajkowski
Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski, who is of polish descent, has been working in Hollywood for many years. In a TikTok shared by Tory Burch, Brad Pitt’s alleged ex model finally put a stop to all the butchering of her name, and showed fans the correct pronunciation – which is “Rat-ah-kof-ski.”
