11 Famous People with Dyslexia

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There’s a long list of famous people with Dyslexia that prove that it is common and should be accepted positively. Dyslexia is a learning disability that involves reading problems, spelling identification, or grammar. It affects the ability to read, write, spell, and speak.

Dyslexia is not considered a disability by many, and they attribute it to the enhancement of creativity. Dyslexia has affected many Hollywood actors, politicians, famous historians, physicists, artists, and even businessmen like Richard Branson and Steve Jobs.

Whichever part of the world you go to, there will be examples of how dyslexic people have achieved success in their life even with the problem in reading and writing at early stages, which even continues in later adult life. Still, they achieve success.

Read on to learn about 11 famous personalities suffering from Dyslexia.

11 Famous People with Dyslexia

Now we are going to know a list of famous personalities with dyslexia sufferings. This list will give the commoners motivation to pass through this obstacle and lead a life motivated by these famous personalities with dyslexia.

1. Albert Einstein

The most celebrated physicist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, had dyslexia, and like many other famous people with dyslexia who shared their stories, he was also a late talker.

He loved mathematics but always hated grammar and faced problems with spelling.

In 1921, he received Nobel Peace Prize for his phenomenal work in discovering the photoelectric effect, which was a pivotal step in quantum physics. In his childhood, one of his teachers proclaimed that nothing good would come to him, but the rest is history.

So we should always have a high opinion of ourselves cause others’ opinion is of no worth. The most important thing for success is what’s your view of yourself.

2. Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born in Spain. He was raised there and then moved to France and spent most of his adult life there painting modern art with the most distinct style, he had an eye for artistic creation.

Before Picasso, no other artists had a great impact on the art world or had a mass following among fans and critics alike.

He produced more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, and other items such as costumes and theatre sets throughout his lifetime.

His paintings show the power of imagination of a dyslexic person. His dyslexia was a blessing in disguise, which gave his painting a free spirit and eccentric style.

3. Leonardo Da Vinci

If you remember the art “Mona Lisa,” you will never forget the most renowned artist Leonardo Da Vinci. People say that dyslexia was the reason behind the extraordinary talent of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most prominent mathematicians, architects, inventors, and extraordinary painters the world has ever seen.

4. George Washington

George Washington was the first president of America, and many thought him to be dyslexic.

They said that he had an issue with written language, and he even had a problem writing his papers. There’s one example quoted that he wrote “cloathes” instead of “clothes.”

5. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is one of the most famous people with Dyslexia. All his childhood, he tried hiding his condition of dyslexia from his peers.

Tom Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven. When he was in high school, he could barely read. Cruise described his younger self as “functionally illiterate.”

Tom Cruise has given successful hits in top-notch movies like “Top Gun,” “Jerry Maguire,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Mission Impossible.” We know him for doing his role flawlessly, but in his earlier parts, he could barely read.

He is an award-winning actor and one of the inspirations to fight dyslexia. When sharing their stories, these famous people with dyslexia are a huge inspiration for common people.

6. Keira Knightley

The list of famous people with Dyslexia includes one of the most celebrated celebrities, Keira Knightley. She was diagnosed with Dyslexia at the age of six and struggled with reading.

She was in a deal with her parents that they would hire an agent who would help with her acting career if she learned to read.

So, after this challenge in the summer, she used the screenplay of Emma Thompson’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility as her reading instrument. As time passed by, she learned to read with great encouragement from her mother.

As promised, her parents hired an agent for her, which launched her acting career. Thus, we got the leading actress in wonderful movies like Pride and Prejudice, Begin Again, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the list goes on.

7. Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg is an Academy Award-winning actress. She is one of the ten to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award. She has been honored with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Whoopi is a multitasking woman who is an actress, comedian, radio host, and television personality, and she has written a few books, of which some are for children.

While the list of famous people with dyslexia becomes more surprising when Whoopi shares her story of dyslexia, many called her dumb or stupid during her school life. While she was in school, she couldn’t grasp anything taught in class. At that time she wasn’t aware of her dyslexia.

Whoopi’s mother was a great support for her and helped her achieve her dream of becoming an actress. Whoopi got her big break when Steven Spielberg saw her in a comedy show and selected her for the movie “The Colour Purple,” based on Alice Walker’s book.

8. Jennifer Aniston

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. is one of the series which is on the watching list of almost all of us. In that series, we saw Rachel, who had amazing comic timing and was all witty, but this favorite character in real life was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Jennifer Anniston has an overview of herself that she wasn’t smart as she couldn’t retain her thoughts and suffered from learning disabilities. While eventually, she came to know about her dyslexia.

In her former years, she avoided reading, and in her early 20s, she came to know about her dyslexia. She says that she had a very low opinion that she wasn’t smart before being diagnosed.

Jennifer’s presence with famous people with dyslexia gives a point that your worth is much more than you think. Dyslexia can be an obstruction or barrier but not your ending stop, and you can tackle it.

9. Henry Winkler

Henry Winkler is a famous actor, director, and author. He has Dyslexia and difficulties with maths. He was popular for his role as “The Fonz” in the movie “Happy Days.” This role was so iconic that his jacket now hangs in the Smithsonian.

Winkler suffers from learning differences, but he never lets them become the obstruction in the path of his success. He visits various schools to talk about learning differences in dyslexia. When these famous people with dyslexia speak about their struggles, it gives people the strength to fight dyslexia.

His educational work was honored in 2011 when he was made Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England.

10. Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom is best known for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean as Will Turner. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven. He stated, “Dyslexia is an obstacle but also a gift.”

When some famous people with dyslexia share the frustration they suffer due to learning disabilities, other people feel acknowledged. Orlando Bloom shared that his experience in school was tough because the learning disability made him feel stupid and dumb at times, but he knew he was smart.

He advised the children dealing with dyslexia that they should not feel stupid and never stop dreaming because they can get what they desire.

11. Richard Branson

Many regard Richard Branson as one of the greatest examples of famous people with dyslexia in entrepreneurship.

He is the C.E.O. of Virgin. He credits some of his success to his condition of dyslexia.

Key Takeaways

There’s a long list of famous people with dyslexia, and this is proof that there could be certain obstacles in the pathway of your dream, but nothing can hold you back.

Be it Jennifer Anniston or Tom Cruise, they are big names from the list of famous people with Dyslexia, and they are proof of how dreams are achievable. Dyslexia and learning abilities are problems in your life but always remember the light after crossing this tunnel.

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