Dyslexia is the inability to learn and comprehend. According to the International Dyslexia Association, above 10 percent of the population is diagnosed with dyslexia symptoms. People with dyslexia are slow learners and have a hard time in school. They face great difficulty in learning names of things and differentiating between things. Some of the other symptoms may include bad memory, cluttering, and ADD (Attention deficit difficulties). Among all the people who have suffered from dyslexia, many have reached the epitome of success. Here is a list of the famous celebrities who overcame dyslexia and made it big.
1. Henry Winkler
The successful actor, director, producer and author, Henry Winkler, was diagnosed with dyslexia much late in his life (age 35), but he had to withstand much humiliation from his family, peers and friends because of his slow learning capability. Henry Winkler has shared his experiences as a dyslexic child in his series of “Hank Zipzer” books. Henry Winkler achieved fame by playing the role of “Fonzie” in the famous 70’s sitcom “Happy Days”. The two-time Golden Globe winner and five times Emmy nominee has acted in several hit movies such as Heroes, The one and only, Night Shift, Scream, Malcolm in the middle, etc.
2. Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom, originally of British descent, has made a huge name for himself in Hollywood by playing the lead roles in the Lord of the Rings series and The Pirates of the Caribbean series. However, not known to many, Bloom too was diagnosed with dyslexia in his childhood and he is still struggling with it. Bloom says he has to work twice as harder than the rest to get half the work done.
3. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise revealed about his struggles with dyslexia in an interview in 2009. The Spanish magazine “XL Semanal” has published his experience with dyslexia. Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven and had to struggle his way to be what he is today. Tom Cruise is best known for his roles in Jerry Maguire, Days of thunder, A few good men, Mission Impossible, The last Samurai, etc. He is a 3-time Golden Globe winner and three times Oscar nominee.
4. Cher
The legendary actor and singer Cher was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 30. She has made tweets about her experience with dyslexia as a child and her horrific experiences at school. She had to drop out of high school. The Goddess of Pop has won a Grammy, an Academy award, an Emmy and three Golden Globe awards. Cher made her claim to fame by being one-half of the famous pop/rock duos “Sonny and Cher”.
5. Keira Knightley
The young bombshell Keira was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of six. The Oscar nominated actor has had her struggles with dyslexia in her school days. Her mother got her an agent at the age of six just to make her work harder on her studies. Keira made her claim to fame by appearing in The Pirates of the Caribbean.
6. Sir Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins is well known for his preparation for a role. It is heard that he reads his lines over 200 times to memorize them. He himself says that he almost instantly forgets the lines after the scene is done. The Academy award winner, Golden Globe and Emmy winner is best known for his roles as “Hannibal Lecter” in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Van Helsing” in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”.
7. Ozzy Osbourne
He is better known as the Godfather of heavy metal music. Ozzy Osbourne suffered from severe dyslexia since his childhood and had to drop out of high school. In the famous MTV reality show “The Osbournes”, he was said to have been slated for subtitles, as it is hard to understand Ozzy’s words. “The Prince of Darkness” has sold over 100 million albums in his 40-year long career.
8. Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi was diagnosed with dyslexia much later in her life. She dropped out of high school and became a drug addict. She became a mother at the age of 19. She later on recovered from her addiction and got her break in the Steven Spielberg movie “The Color Purple”’. Whoopi is the host of “The View” and she was the co-producer of the game show “Hollywood Squares”. Whoopi has received 13 Emmy nominations for her outstanding work in TV. She has won a Grammy, an Emmy, and an Oscar.
9. Jay Leno
The famous host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” admitted to his audiences in 2007, that he has dyslexia. Jay Leno suffered much with his grades in elementary school and he worked much hard to become a successful comedian and talk show host. His career has spanned for 30 years in television. Leno also achieved a bachelor’s degree from Emerson’s College in speech therapy.
10. Bruce Jenner
Bruce Jenner was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age. He went on to win Olympic gold for his country in the 1976 summer Olympics. He made his TV debut in the reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” in 2007. He is currently the host of “Demystifying Dyslexia”.
