Famous People with Disabilities

[danielshooley]

Disabilities are not that unusual; in fact, some of the most talented people in Show Business, like many of us here on the UD forums, suffer from one disability or another.

With this in mind, here is a partial list of Celebrities who refuse to let their Disabilities, lifelong and/or acquired, prevent them from having VERY successful careers in their lives.

1. Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952 - October 10, 2004) -- Movie actor, best known for portraying Superman in 4 theatrical films made between 1978 and 1987; became Physically Disabled in May 1995 as a result of a Spinal Cord Injury. (SOURCE: June 12, 1995 issue of People Magazine)

2. Tim Allen (June 13, 1953 - present) -- Stand-up comedian/actor, best known for his starring role on the hit 1990s Disney sitcom Home Improvement; admitted to Readers Digest in November 2006 to being diagnosed with a Learning Disability. (SOURCE: November 2006 issue of Readers Digest)

3. Mike Wallace (May 9, 1918 - April 7, 2002) -- Newsman, best known for hosting 60 Minutes from its beginning in 1968 until his 2006 retirement; admittedly diagnosed in 1984 with Clinical Depression. (SOURCE: People Magazine 100 Greatest TV Stars of All Time)

4. Howard Hughes (December 24, 1905 - April 5, 1976) -- Movie director, best known for directing such films as Hells Angels, as well as being portrayed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the hit 2004 biopic The Aviator; was posthumously diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

5. Dick Clark (November 30, 1929 - April 18, 2012) -- TV personality, best known for hosting such hit TV shows as American Bandstand and The $10,000 Pyramid; became Physically Disabled as a result of a 2004 Massive Stroke.

6. Bill Cosby (July 12, 1937 - present) -- Stand-up comedian/author/actor, best known for starring in and creating the hit 1984-1992 sitcom The Cosby Show; reportedly lives with Attention Deficit Disorder. (SOURCE: http://eas.wayne.edu/fam_people.html)

7. The Smothers Brothers: Tommy (February 2, 1937 - present) and Dickie (November 20, 1939 - present) -- Comedy Musicians, best known for their hit short-lived 1960s variety show; Tommy: admittedly diagnosed at age 30 with Dyslexia; Dickie: Became totally deaf in his left ear as a result of a freak accident. (SOURCE: Dangerously Funny, a Biographical Book by author David Bianculli)

8. Tracey Gold (May 16, 1969 - present) -- Actress, best known as eldest daughter Carol on the hit 1980s sitcom Growing Pains; diagnosed in 1987, at age 17, with Attention Deficit Disorder after YEARS of struggling Academically. (SOURCE: Growing Pains E! True Hollywood Story episode)

9. Kirk Cameron (October 12, 1969 - present) -- Evangelical Preacher, better known as an Actor as eldest teenage son Mike Seaver on the hit 1980s sitcom Growing Pains; earned irreversible partial facial damage as a result of a 1982 Skiing Accident. (SOURCE: December 3, 1986 issue of People Magazine)

10. Candace Cameron (April 6, 1975 - present) -- Housewife, better known as an Actress as eldest daughter D.J. Tanner on the hit 1980s sitcom Full House; admitted on Twitter to living with Restless Legs Syndrome. (SOURCE: http://twitter.com/candacecbure)

11. Jeremy Miller (October 21, 1975 - present) -- Chef, better known as an Actor as youngest son Ben Seaver on the hit 1980s sitcom Growing Pains; admitted to People Magazine in the year 2000 to living with Attention Deficit Disorder. (SOURCE: June 26, 2000 issue of People Magazine)

FYI: The Internet Movie Database, along with other Ersatz Biographies, list Kirk Camerons date of birth as October 12, 1970; According to his E! True Hollywood Story profile, Kirk was, in reality, born on October 12, 1969. Further evidence of the info being truthful is the fact that Kirk Cameron graduated High School in 1988, at age 18. On April 11, 1965, Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law the Education Bill, changing the cut-off date into the next grade for the American Public School system from January 1 to September 1 of a given Calendar Year, until the Bill was Modified after Ronald Reagan became President, for the Cut-Off Date to vary from State to State.

Me, for example: I was born on December 9, 1984, meaning I am 28 years old; had I been born August 9, 1984 I would have graduated high school in 2002, but since I was born December 9, 1984 I graduated high school in 2003, 10 years ago; likewise with Kirk Cameron, who was born on October 12, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, making him 43 years old as of last October 12.

Per the same E! True Hollywood Story episode, Candace Cameron was born on April 6, 1975 in Los Angeles, California and graduated high school in 1993, making her 38 years old as of last month.

Per the Growing Pains E! THS episode, Jeremy Miller graduated high school in 1994, and even though his IMDB entry lists his year of birth as 1976, that info is ALSO false, as Jeremy was born on October 21, 1975 in West Covina, California.

[ajmrowland]

I think I read somewhere that Tom Cruise has Dyslexia, but not sure if it's true or not and too tired to look it up.

[disneyboy20022]

I think I read somewhere that Tom Cruise has Dyslexia, but not sure if it's true or not and too tired to look it up.

Jay Leno also has Dyslexia

Owen Wilson has Asperger Syndrome

[ajmrowland]

I think I read somewhere that Tom Cruise has Dyslexia, but not sure if it's true or not and too tired to look it up.

Jay Leno also has Dyslexia

Owen Wilson has Asperger Syndrome

Owen Wilson is that much more awesome.