From actresses Halle Bailey and Halle Berry to Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams and Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, see the celebrities who get mixed up with other stars who have similar — or even the same — names.
It may be pretty common to share a name with someone you know in real life but it can get kind of confusing when you happen to be a major celebrity. When two stars have very similar names, it can be pretty easy to get them mixed up. Thanks to their nearly-shared moniker, there can be confusion everywhere from news headlines to social media — and sometimes even their own family members get mixed up. While it may be annoying to constantly get mistaken for someone else, most of these stars take it in stride and find it quite comical.
Read on to find out how these stars feel about sharing their name…
1. Michael B. Jordan & Michael Jordan
Despite having almost the same exact name, actor Michael B. Jordan and basketball player Michael Jordan aren’t related. While the pair have met in person, Michael B. says it was a pretty quick encounter and he didn’t get to tell the athlete about their shared name.
“I think the time I met him, it was at an all-star event and…it was in passing. I shook his hand and it was literally less than 10 seconds. I don’t even think he knew who I was at the time,” Michael B. said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I think we gotta collab on something. The market is too rich at this point. It’s too good.”
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2. Halle Berry & Halle Bailey
Halle Berry and Halle Bailey have such similar names that they’re constantly getting confused in Hollywood. When Halle Bailey landed the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, many people thought it was Halle Berry taking on the role — and the pair had to speak out to clarify things. Since then, the two Halles have had the chance to meet face-to-face at the 2023 Oscars.
“My family always loved Halle Berry. I mean, she’s amazing and originally, when I was a baby, they wanted to name me Haley but my last name is Bailey so that wouldn’t have worked. So then they ultimately decided Halle and it’s very similar to Halle Berry. But there’s no one else I would rather have a similar name to than her ’cause she’s so cool,” Halle Bailey said on Live With Kelly and Mark.
3. Tom Holland & Tom Hollander
Tom Holland and Tom Hollander are both big names in Hollywood and they occasionally get mixed up — even by their agencies. Tom Hollander once explained that when they were briefly repped by the same people, he accidentally got a check that was meant for Tom Holland.
“It’s been very difficult. ’Cause, you know, I was here first,” Tom Hollander joked on Late Night with Seth Meyers. “But he’s enormously famous…Obviously, I don’t actually get mistaken for him but in non-visual contexts, I am mistaken for him all the time.”
He continued, “People in the accounts department of my agency got confused. We were with the same agency briefly and it was a terrible moment…I got an email from the agency saying, ‘Payment advice slip, your first box office bonus for The Avengers.’ And I thought, I don’t think I’m in The Avengers. It was an astonishing amount of money.”
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4. Michelle Williams & Michelle Williams
Actress Michelle Williams and singer Michelle Williams have the same exact name. On many occasions, there have been social media mix-ups between the two — despite looking nothing alike. Michelle, who fans probably recognize from her days in Destiny’s Child, says that right after the other Michelle gave an impassioned speech about pay equality at the Emmys in 2019, people came to the musician’s Instagram to share their thoughts.
“I’m trying to figure out, ‘Why in the world am I getting cursed out in my comments for Michelle Williams’ speech?’ which I thought was her truth. I thought it was awesome. I thought she was factual — I could be wrong — but yeah, I just told this woman a few minutes ago on my Instagram, I was like, ‘I’m so sorry that my namesake upset you, but can’t you see that I’m Black?’” she said during an Instagram Live.
5. Bill Nye & Bill Nighy
Bill Nye and Bill Nighy may spell their names differently but they’re actually pronounced exactly the same. It’s created some confusion for the duo and even their family has gotten things mixed up. Bill Nye says that after Jennifer Coolidge mentioned Bill Nighy on stage at the Golden Globes, his sister actually called him to find out if the mention was about him. While clearing up the confusion, Bill Nye added that the two men had once met and had a nice exchange.
“He was in a play called Skylight, and I went and saw it. Thought it was great. And then we both ended up at the [same] restaurant, and I took a selfie with him. He’s a very nice guy. And he reassured us that he pronounces his name the same way I do,” he told E! News.
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6. Dylan McDermott & Dermot Mulroney
Dylan McDermott and Dermot Mulroney have different names but through the years, they’ve often been confused by fans. The two men have actually become friends and Dermot says the confusion doesn’t really bother him at all. In fact, he enjoys that the jokes have lasted decades and stood the test of time.
“I do love him. We are blessed to have him on a parallel universe track in my entire life. I would argue now that together, we have a larger footprint than we would’ve had as individuals,” Dermot told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re better for each other than we thought in the first place. It’s been amazing and it’s only getting richer as again, younger kids think it’s funny too, and it’s happening all over again. So stay tuned. There’s more humor to come, and joy to be wrung out of this bizarre non-identity crisis.”
7. Dan Levy & Dan Levy
Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy happens to have the same name as comedian Dan Levy. The comedian is known to make jokes about their shared name but admits he’s nowhere near as famous as his counterpart.
“My name is Dan Levy. I have to be clear. I’m not Dan Levy. It gets confusing, even for me. I get his emails. Dan Levy is a star of Schitt’s Creek. Yes, I love him,” the comedian said on stage, noting that the only thing he’d ever starred in was “a Domino’s commercial for the cheeseburger pizza in 2002” which never even aired.
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8. Mark Wahlberg & Mark L. Walberg
Actor Mark Wahlberg shares the same name with television host Mark L. Walberg. The TV personality, who’s hosted shows like Antiques Roadshow, says he’s often confused for the actor on social media but he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he says he’s a big fan of the actor, even though they’ve never met.
“I share a name with Mark Wahlberg and I look like Chris Harrison, so I’m lost in the shuffle of their success,” he joked during an interview with Vulture.
9. Mandy Moore & Mandy Moore
Actress Mandy Moore and choreographer Mandy Moore often find themselves getting confused because they have the same name. After the dancer Mandy Moore choreographed the movie La La Land, the actress Mandy Moore says she was often approached about her dancing skills.
“There is, in fact, another Mandy Moore out there and she is a dynamite choreographer. But she has been nominated for Emmys before for, like, Dancing With The Stars…and I’ve gotten emails over the years from people, like, ‘Congrats on the Emmys nod!’ And I’m like, ‘Uh, not me!’ I’m the worst dancer, which is the irony here,” Mandy, the actress said, on The Tonight Show.
