Keira Knightley
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Knightley has been a fixture in the entertainment world for decades. Among her most famous roles, many associate her with Love Actually, Bend it Like Beckham, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Interestingly enough, Knightley reportedly got involved in acting based on her struggles with dyslexia. She was diagnosed with the disorder as a young girl when having major issues with reading. Eventually, her parents reportedly allowed her to get into acting once she worked to improve on her reading. Knightley has been very open in speaking out about it publicly.
Tom Holland
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Tom Holland has arrived as an A-list celebrity. Being a part of the superhero world, Holland is a figure with global appeal and recognizability. Before Holland became a household name, he did struggle reportedly with dyslexia growing up. He was a young boy when officially diagnosed. Through the support of his family, he’s been able to overcome any challenges en route to a very successful acting career.
Jennifer Aniston
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Friends star Jennifer Aniston found out about her learning disability in her 20s when aiming to get a glasses prescription. It was deemed that she had dyslexia when she reportedly struggled to read a paragraph and answer follow-up questions aimed at retention. However, in the wake of being diagnosed, a calmness came into play. As Aniston told The Hollywood Reporter, “I thought I wasn’t smart. I just couldn’t retain anything. Now I had this great discovery. I felt like all of my childhood traumas, tragedies, dramas were explained.”
Channing Tatum
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In an interview with People (per The New York Times Style Magazine), actor Channing Tatum revealed that he dealt with dyslexia and ADHD during his childhood in his native Mississippi. School reportedly was difficult, and Tatum spoke about the school system not exactly catering to his needs:
“I have never considered myself a very smart person, for a lot of reasons. Not having early success on that one path messes with you. You get lumped in classes with kids with autism and Down syndrome, and you look around and say, ‘Okay, so this is where I’m at.’ Or you get put in the typical classes and you say, ‘All right, I’m obviously not like these kids either.’ So you’re kind of nowhere. You’re just different.”
Vince Vaughn
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After breaking out in the hit cult classic Swingers, Vince Vaughn became a leading man in Hollywood. Old School and Wedding Crashers are two of his most noteworthy performances to date. Vaughn was also excellent as one of Larry David’s pals in Curb Your Enthusiasm. In an interview he gave back in 2005 with WENN, Vaughn admitted that he had “a form of dyslexia and short attention span.” However, he then spoke about how these challenges led to an enhanced work ethic — which paid off considering the success of his career.
Tom Cruise
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Tom Cruise shares a story that many around the world can probably relate to. Struggling with dyslexia growing up made school reportedly quite difficult for Cruise — particularly when it came to reading. For those in older generations, school systems weren’t as sensitive to the needs of their students when it came to learning disabilities. The systems put in place often didn’t have the necessary resources or information accessible to aid their students in the necessary manner.
Cher
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The famed performer had issues with multiple learning disabilities growing up. Cher reportedly dealt with both dyslexia and a math-based learning disorder called dyscalculia. As she wrote in her autobiography, mathematics was especially difficult for her in an academic setting. Alas, Cher became a world-class entertainer as an actor and a singer. She persevered and didn’t let her learning disabilities prevent her from being a pop culture icon.
Keanu Reeves
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Keanu Reeves is said to be one of the kindest and nicest people in Hollywood. From his roles in Parenthood, The Matrix, Speed, The Replacements, and the John Wick series, you see an actor with an oeuvre as diverse as Toronto. Reeves reportedly dropped out of high school due to challenges associated with dyslexia. However, that didn’t stop him from developing a love for one of his biggest passions: reading.
Henry Winkler
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From Happy Days and The Waterboy to Barry and Arrested Development, Henry Winkler is a titan within the industry. Few people possess his ability as both a dramatic and comedic actor. Winkler has a certain level of charm that endears himself to audiences all over the world. Winkler’s been very candid about his struggles with dyslexia throughout his life. It wasn’t until he was 31 that he received an official diagnosis. In order to spread awareness, Winkler was part of a team that wrote a children’s book series with the protagonist suffering from dyslexia.
Jay Leno
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The famed comedian/talk show host/car enthusiast grew up having dyslexia. According to reports, Leno leaned heavily on his mother for help. She not only instilled confidence in him, but also was candid in explaining how Leno’s work ethic might have to differ compared to the average kid his age. As he told CNBC in an interview back in 2016, Leno’s somewhat conservative approach to money also reportedly stems from dyslexia and not always being comfortable with numbers.
Dax Shepard
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Shepard has been all over the Hollywood scene — first as an actor and most recently as the host of a very popular/successful podcast entitled Armchair Expert. In an interview with the press in 2019 (via ET Online), Shepard spoke about his struggles with dyslexia — and how they ultimately led him toward a comedy career:
“Not to bring the room down, but I had dyslexia very bad as a child, and I got taken to the special-ed room every day, which was very humiliating. I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have to get to the joke before you get to the joke. My pride demands it.’ And I think that’s where this probably comes from.”
Salma Hayek
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Salma Hayek has been a leading lady in Hollywood for quite some time. Early in her career, she took roles that showcased her immense acting chops. This included mostly characters in dramatic films. As she’s progressed in her career, we’ve even seen her dabble in more comedic projects. One of the most versatile actresses of her generation, Hayek was diagnosed with dyslexia during her teen years.
Rob McElhenney
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Rob McElhenney is best known for his role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Most recently, he’s starred in Mythic Quest and has become the co-owner of the Wrexham Association Football Club (based in Wales). In July of 2023, McElhenney went on X and offered a very transparent take on his life. It included this sentence: “I was recently diagnosed with a host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities! At 46!” Credit McElhenney for offering this honest take as a means of helping those who also may have similar diagnoses.
Whoopi Goldberg
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Whoopi Goldberg is a woman of many talents. Acclaimed actor, comedian, writer, philanthropist, mother/grandmother, and talk show host, there’s little the New York native can’t do. Growing up, Goldberg reportedly was admonished for difficulties in the classroom. At that time, dyslexia wasn’t a widely known term, and as such she was pegged with having other issues. However, as an adult, she in fact was diagnosed with the disorder.
Octavia Spencer
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Actress Octavia Spencer didn’t view being diagnosed with dyslexia as a weakness. On the contrary — she viewed it as a unique way of learning (as she explained in an interview with WENN in 2017):
“I was a dyslexic child and am a dyslexic adult; that doesn’t really mean that you’re not intelligent — it just means that your brain functions differently. I just remember thinking differently. I could solve puzzles quicker than the average child. I would start with the mazes at the end and go to the front and be done in, like, 30 seconds. My deductive reasoning was very important.”
Orlando Bloom
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Bloom is another actor who struggled with dyslexia as a young boy. He has been quite vocal in sharing his story with millions around the world. This included giving an interview with Child Mind Institute. Not only did he speak about his experience in-depth, but he also illuminated the methods he uses when going through everyday life. Bloom reportedly mentioned that his mother in particular was quite helpful with his reading as a kid.
Jim Carrey
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Longtime actor Jim Carrey reportedly was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a young boy. Few can match Carrey when it comes to his creativity, energy, or talents as an impressionist. There’s a tangible activity with his performances, where the audience one way or another will be entertained. Carrey has seemingly done a fantastic job in harnessing his ADHD — instead channeling it in a very positive way with performance via several different mediums.
Anderson Cooper
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Cooper is one of the country’s most respected journalists. As such, it’s even more impressive to learn that he has struggled with dyslexia for much of his life. CNN Health’s Robyn Curnow offered this tidbit about a conversation she had with Cooper:
My colleague Anderson Cooper told me that as a child he was sent to a “reading doctor” after school in New York and during the summer in Long Island to help him with, what he calls, mild dyslexia. “I still do have trouble confusing some letters and numbers,” he told me. I agree with him when he says it’s easier to “have stuff printed out to read instead of reading off a computer” as I also rely heavily on the paper copies of scripts and news wires. Anderson said part of his treatment at the time was to learn to type; “so I became a really good typer in 3rd grade.”
Tim Tebow
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Tim Tebow was one of the most prolific athletes in College Football during the prime of his career. After developing into a star at the University of Florida, he was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos. Tebow’s time in the NFL wasn’t as successful. Despite that, he’s been heavily involved in the world of media during his post-playing career. It’s even more impressive when learning Tebow was reportedly diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven.
Howie Mandel
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Mandel has been very vocal about having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Mandel reportedly wasn’t diagnosed until he was in his 40s. As a means to help people, the comedian/actor has been steadfast in speaking about the disorder — sometimes from a comedic standpoint, though mostly from a place of experience and empathy. Mandel reportedly uses a plethora of different tools to help him function daily. One of those involves his iconic fist bump when meeting someone as opposed to shaking their hand.