The gargantuan hack of Sony Pictures exposed some of the studio's internal operations to public view, damaging morale at the company and compromising the studio's inner business workings. But one new leak may put Hollywood celebrities on high alert: a cache of documents that reveal the secret aliases used by actors and actresses to check into hotels and book car services.
In the latest batch of files leaked by a hacking group known as "Guardians of Peace," there is a folder containing "publicity bibles" for many recently released Sony Pictures films. These documents, which are compiled and distributed among film staff, serve as contact directories for the duration of filming. They include phone numbers and e-mail addresses for directors, producers, publicists, cast members, and crew. And, in some cases, they include the false names stars assume in order to protect their privacy.
Here are some of the aliases revealed publicly by the documents:
Tom Hanks: goes by "Harry Lauder" and "Johnny Madrid" (the former of which was the name of a famous Scottish comedian, and the latter of which may be a reference to a character on Lancer, a 1960s Western series)
Sarah Michelle Gellar: goes by "Neely O’Hara" (probably a Valley of the Dolls reference)
Tobey Maguire: goes by "Neil Deep"
Natalie Portman: goes by "Laura Brown"
Clive Owen: goes by "Robert Fenton" (his wife's name is Sarah-Jane Fenton)
Rob Schneider: goes by "Nazzo Good" (not so good – get it?)
Taye Diggs: goes by "Scott Diggs" (his real name)
Jude Law: goes by "Mr. Perry"
Daniel Craig: goes by "Olwen Williams" (an homage to his grandfather, Olwyn Williams)
Jessica Alba: goes by "Cash Money"
Ice Cube: goes by "Darius Stone" and "O’Shea Jackson" (the former of which was his character's name in XXX: State of the Union, and the latter of which is his actual name)
Debra Messing: goes by "Ava Harper"
These stars will no doubt need to switch up their pseudonyms, now that hackers have blown their cover. Between these outed celebrities and those, like Sylvester Stallone, who have had their Social Security numbers exposed in the hack, Sony Pictures may not be the most popular studio among Hollywood's elite right now.