20 Famous People With Dyslexia

Famous People With Dyslexia:

Introduction

Dyslexia is a condition that affects a person’s ability to read, write, spell or speak. It is not due to brain damage, mental retardation, or a lack of intelligence. Approximately 15 percent of people have dyslexia.

List of 20 Famous People With Dyslexia:

#1 Steven Spielberg

He is one of the most popular producers and directors in film history and is considered one of the founding pioneers of the New Hollywood era.

Steven Spielberg says he dealt with his dyslexia by making movies.

#2 Cher

She is an American actress and singer who got her start as half of Sonny and Cher in the 1960s. 

Cher didn’t find out about her dyslexia until years later when she took her child to get evaluated for attention and learning problems.

“The only way I learned was by listening to the teachers in my classroom,” Cher wrote in her autobiography.

#3 Erin Brockovich

She is an American legal clerk who was instrumental in building a case against the PG&E of California in 1993.

“Most people don’t know I have dyslexia. I don’t like to be labeled. We are taught not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what we do. People called me stupid — I knew I could learn, but I just couldn’t learn the way society wanted to teach me. There are no set answers, just be who you are.”

#4 Tom Cruise

Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7. However, that didn’t stop him from becoming the actor we all know today.

Tom said during an interview – “I’d try to concentrate on what I was reading, then I’d get to the end of the page and have very little memory of anything I’d read.”

#5 Agatha Christie

She was a mystery writer who was one of the world’s top-selling authors with works like ”The Mystery of the Blue Train” and ”Murder on the Orient Express.”

“I, myself, was always recognized…as the ‘slow one’ in the family,” Christie reportedly once said. “It was quite true, and I knew it and accepted it. Writing and spelling were always terribly difficult for me. My letters were without originality. I was…an extraordinarily bad speller and have remained so until this day.”

#6 Keira Knightley

She is a British actress who has received Oscar nominations for ”The Imitation Game” and ”Pride & Prejudice.”

After she was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 6, Keira struck a deal with her parents that if she worked on her reading every day, they would agree to hire her an agent.

#7 Tim Tebow

He is a former professional American football quarterback and current professional baseball outfielder in the New York Mets organization.

Tebow was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. In order to reach where he has, Tebow had to find alternate methods of learning things that others grasp in seconds.

“It has to do with finding out how you learn, and you really get it done quickly. I’m not somebody that opens a playbook and just turns and reads and reads. That doesn’t do it for me.” Instead, Tim makes flashcards and memorizes them over time, particularly when traveling.

#8 Orlando Bloom

He is best known for playing the elf warrior Legolas Greenleaf in the epic film trilogy ”The Lord of the Rings.”

“It’s a gift and don’t let anyone tell you that because you struggle with dyslexia you’ll never make it in life because it’s simply not true. It’s about your determination and desire to overcome. And I think that the obstacles that come with any disability can become the opportunity of your life if you make it that.”

#9 Whoopi Goldberg

She is an award-winning actress, comedian, and human rights advocate,

Whoopi Goldberg didn’t even find out she had dyslexia until well after she dropped out of school.

#10 Gwen Stefani

She is an American songwriter, singer, and actress. Stefani is also the lead vocalist of the band ”No Doubt.”

Gwen Stefani has dyslexia, but, despite the difficulties she experienced with writing and reading, she still pursued an art degree at university.

#11 Jamie Oliver

He is a British chef and restaurateur who is best known for his television series ”The Naked Chef.”

Jamie Oliver was diagnosed with dyslexia early on in life and had to overcome many challenges to learn how to read.

“I’ve never read a book in my life, which I know sounds incredibly ignorant but I’m dyslexic and I get bored easily.” – Jamie said in 2013.

#12 Kara Tointon

She is an English actress who is best known for playing Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

During an interview, Kara said – “My friends have always known I’ve had a bit of trouble with spelling and reading, and I think having that support and encouragement is the most important aspect of being dyslexic.”

#13 Billy Bob Thornton

He is an American actor, singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and musician.

”I’m a dyslexic. When I was growing up, they just thought I was slow. Teachers thought I was lazy. I never wanted to be anything that school taught me. I was only in drama because there were girls in there,” – said Thornton.

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#13 Salma Hayek

She is a Mexican and American film actress and former model.

Salma was diagnosed with dyslexia in her teens, but that didn’t prevent her from succeeding in school in Mexico.

“I’m really a fast learner. I always was, which is maybe why in high school, they didn’t realize I had dyslexia. I skipped years without studying too much,” Hayek said.

#14 Robin Williams

He was an American comedian and actor who was best known for his performances in films like ”Dead Poets Society” and ”Good Will Hunting.”

“I suffer from severe dyslexia. I was the only child on my block on Halloween to go ‘trick or trout’ … Here comes that young Williams boy. Better get some fish,” Williams said. 

#15 Anderson Cooper

He is an American television personality, journalist, and author.

Anderson Cooper struggled with dyslexia, however, he credits his love of reading for helping him cope with the disorder.

#16 Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner is a gold medal-winning track star who set a world record in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics. 

“The biggest problem with dyslexic kids is not the perceptual problem, it is their perception of themselves. That was my biggest problem. If I wasn’t dyslexic, I probably wouldn’t have won the Games. If I had been a better reader, then that would have come easily, sports would have come easily… and I never would have realized that the way you get ahead in life is hard work,” Jenner said.

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#17 Richard Branson

He is an English business magnate, author, investor, and philanthropist. Branson founded the Virgin Group, which controls about 400 companies.

“Being dyslexic can actually help in the outside world. I see some things clearer than other people do because I have to simplify things to help me and that has helped others,” Richard Branson said in an interview.

#18 Keanu Reeves

He is a Canadian actor, producer, director, and musician. Reeves has starred in the movies ”Matrix,” ”Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” and ”John Wick.”

“Because I had trouble reading, I wasn’t a good student. I didn’t finish high school. I did a lot of pretending as a child. It was my way of coping with the fact that I didn’t really feel like I fit in.” – Keanu Reeves explains to Handbag magazine. 

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#19 Jennifer Aniston

Undiagnosed until she was in her 20s, Aniston spent most of her life fearing that she was stupid. 

“I thought I wasn’t smart. I just couldn’t retain anything. When I had this great discovery, I felt like all of my childhood trauma-dies, tragedies, dramas were explained,” – the actress told the Hollywood Reporter.

Once she discovered that she was not responsible for her childhood struggles, Jennifer was able to move forward with newfound confidence which boosted her acting career.

#20 Jay Leno

His dyslexia has led him to become a firm believer in low self-esteem, in that “If you don’t think you’re the smartest person in the room and you think you’re going to have to work a little harder, and put a little more time into it to get what everybody else does, you can actually do quite well. And that’s been my approach.”

References

http://dyslexia.yale.edu/research-science/ycdc-research/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180307100720.htm
https://www.georgetown.edu/news/male-female-difference-found-in-georgetown-dyslexia-research.html