From Charlize Theron to Ralph Fiennes: The celebrity names we’re all mispronouncing
WITH Sharknado 2 premiering in the US, some in the news.com.au office learned two surprising facts about the film’s star, Ian Ziering.
Firstly, that the man most famous for playing Steve Sanders in Beverly Hills, 90210 is now 50 years old. Don’t we feel ancient.
Second, that Ian’s first name is pronounced ‘Eye-an’. As in, rhymes with Brian.
Ralph Fiennes
‘Ralph’ is a pretty hard one to mess up, right? WRONG. Ralph Fiennes pronounces his first name ‘Rafe’.
“There is a tradition in the UK of pronouncing Ralph as ‘Rafe’. I believe my father named me after my step-grandfather,” Fiennes explains in this interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Saoirse Ronan
The Irish actor, best known for roles in Hanna and Grand Budapest Hotel, is blessed with an intimidatingly vowel-heavy first name for those not well-versed in traditional Irish pronunciation. If you thought it was pronounced ‘Saaii[cough]uueeoorse’, you’d be wrong. It’s actually a much simpler SEER-sha.
Rest at the source
Surprised that Mia W. wasn't included, given that it's an Australian source. Anyway, do people regularly bungle your names, ONTD?