h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm about to start a career in the entertainment industry and I've been thinking of taking on a stage name. I've gotten such differing advice that I thought I'd take it to the people. Which do you think is the strongest? Which is the name of a movie star that you'd want to go watch?

1. Claudine Bennent
2. Erika Bennent
3. Erika Marais
4. Claudine Marais
5. Erika Mare(with an accent on the e)
6. Claudine Mare

Thanks for your help. Maybe yopu could choose the name that makes me famous!

Erika Marais

Definitely not Bennent. It's not at all clear how it should be pronounced. With a choice of Maré and Marais, I'd go for Marais, because it suggests Paris. So the first name would have to be French to match:

Claudine Marais.

Erika Marais or Claudine Marais. "Mare" is a no-no.

Where do you live?

deff Erika Marais it sounds dead sexy

I'd go with Erika Marais.

(Heard of Erica Ceous? Bog standard performer. Her given name is Heather.)

Ach, she's a bit of a dar-ling.

You win!

3 is the best of a bad bunch; The top one conjures up images of a female equivalent of Frank Spencer and the bottom two sound like horses names. I think Sally would be a good name for an actress. It's a nice name and there aren't enough famous actresses called 'Sally'

Yes, people problem will have difficulty distinguishing between Mare and Maré. Since Mare means a female horse, this name is best avoided.

There's no internet engine to provide this? They got one for porn namea and hobbit names, why not actress names.

Why are those names the only choices?

Sorry, I don't think much of any of them. Presumably one of them is your real name? Why not use that? I'd have more respect for an actor who used their real name than a made-up one.

RF

Claudine, I wish you luck whatever name you choose. Do you want to act in dramas? Comedies? Romances? It might make a difference as far as your name is concerned. And do you want your name to be dignified or to attract a lot of attention? In which case you may want something off the wall. I'm thinking of Whoopie Goldberg. Someone told me her first choice was Whoopie Cushion.

There actually seem to be lots of people called Bennent, but I think many people would think they hear "Bennett" or "Pennant". Having people misspell you name means they won't find you when they try to look you up in directories, which could be awkward.

Google tells me that there is a South African actress called Claudine Marais, which stymies that one. Pity, it's the one I liked best!

Azara

Yes, I'd agree with Erika Marais. Claudine makes me think of Ms Longet, Andy Williams wife... back in the day.

I don't like any of them.

I like "Claudine Marais" best, but then Google tells me that this name is alreday taken by an actress... or is that maybe you? (http://www.tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=2449192&fSectionId=358&fSetId=251)

My second choice would be Erika Marais. If you want to go with the French sound, how about Aurélie Marais?

Oh, I just realized that "marais" means "swamp" or "morass"... but I guess you knew that, anyway. That could make for some fun combinations. According to my dictionary, "Erika" means "erica/heather/ling" - so a flower that grows in a moor. Combine that with Marais, and you have a name that directs your imagination to eerily beatiful landscapes. Do you know Nick Cave's "Where the wild roses grow"? That kind of landscape...

I am gonna stop now.
Y.

Depends what area of the "entertainment industry" you're interested in. I can see Claudine Marais in the end credits of Amelie, but Erika Mare, you should definitely lose the accent and think about going into porn.

Thanks everyone for your help. I've made my decision and I'm actually going to stick with my real name. It's been great getting your help; also nice to know that I'm quite an item on the web.