What Was Lana Turner's Real Name?

May 2024 ยท 1 minute read

Lana Turner wasn't born into the world of showbusiness. She was the daughter of a miner from Idaho named John Virgil Turner and his wife, Mildred Francis (via IMDb). It wasn't until her father died and her family moved to California that she started down the road to becoming a Hollywood actress.

At the time, she wasn't using the name Lana. Her parents had named her Julia Jean Mildred Francis Turner, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, and she continued to use that name until she landed a role in "They Won't Forget." Director Mervyn LeRoy asked her to change her name to something simpler, and she chose to go by Lana Turner. Turner reportedly made the change legal later in life, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, and she often corrected people to ensure they were pronouncing her new name correctly. That includes Joan Rivers, who asked for the proper pronunciation on an episode of "The Tonight Show."

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