How Famous Dyslexics Live With Their Disability
Many people have dyslexia and find it difficult to cope with, but because the dyslexia is so common, there are dozens of famous dyslexics. The list of famous dyslexics goes on and on, but below you will find a list of a few well known famous dyslexics.
Famous Dyslexic Actors and Entertainers
There are many actors and entertainers who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. Whoopi Goldberg learned of her dyslexia as an adult. When Whoopi was a child she was called “dumb” and “stupid” because of her difficulty reading. Her parents and teachers were aware that she was neither dumb nor stupid, but merely had a learning disability which had not been defined as of then. Miss Goldberg is known for her great films, including Sister Act I and II.
Jay Leno, most well known for his late night television comedy show, is a dyslexic who frequently received Cs and Ds as a child. Jay was determined to get accepted to college and, despite being rejected, he sat outside the admissions office of the university he wished to attend for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week until he was eventually accepted. Leno says that his dyslexia is likely the reason he is such a good comedian.
Tom Cruise is another one of the famous dyslexics. Due to dyslexia, Tom was placed in remedial classes and was forced to focus his energy into sports (one of the advantages of being dyslexic is enhanced athletic ability). He eventually blew out his knee, causing him to have to leave sports for something less active. With much encouragement from his dyslexic mother, Tom chose to get into acting.
Famous Dyslexic Artists and Scientists
There are many artists and scientists who have been diagnosed with dyslexia (albeit, many were diagnosed postmortem). Pablo Picasso, born in 1881 in Spain, had a difficult time during his stays in parochial schools. Pablo later joined art school due to the encouragement of his father. He quickly realized he had a great talent for painting and began creating paintings which exhibited the power of imagination, raw emotion, and creativity of the human psyche.
Leonard Da Vinci is also thought to have had dyslexia, as well as a few other learning disabilities. Strong evidence derived from the way he took his notes points to Da Vinci’s dyslexia. Apparently he took his notes from right to left and backward, in a mirrored image. Da Vinci honed his disability and used it to come up with creative and innovative ideas.
Thomas Edison is perhaps the most famous of the included famous dyslexics. Edison was tossed out of school at age 12 because he was thought to be too dumb to attend. He had difficulty with speech, reading, and mathematics. Clearly Thomas Edison was able to overcome his learning disability and focus it on ingenious inventions.
There are hundreds of famous dyslexics, including Robin Williams, Orlando Bloom, Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, Woodrow Wilson, and even our former president, George Washington. The list goes on and on. Walt Disney is among the famous dyslexics as well. These people have overcome the obstacles associated with dyslexia and have moved on to become very successful in their fields.
