Tom Holland & Other Celebrities Who Live With Dyslexia

Why hasn't Tom Holland appeared on "Saturday Night Live" yet? During a guest appearance on Amy Poehler's podcast, "Good Hang With Amy Poehler" (via YouTube), Holland explained that it was because of a medical condition he has.

"I'm heavily dyslexic," Holland said, adding that his diagnosis made him worry that he wouldn't be able to read from the cue cards during skits. His honesty wasn't just refreshing; it resonated with many YouTube commenters who expressed support for Holland the "superhero" (aka, this generation's Spider-Man).

What is dyslexia? Speech-language pathologist Allison Moore described it as a brain disorder that affects about one-fifth of the population while she was interviewed for a Cleveland Clinic podcast. Put simply, dyslexia can make it hard to process written letters and words, although Moore asserts that it's possible to overcome the challenges of the condition for many people. And Holland is a good example of someone who's achieved a lot of success despite dyslexia-related obstacles.

For instance, Holland told Poehler how he deals with having to read scripts aloud with castmates at film read-throughs. "I will really try and highlight everything and learn my lines ahead of time," he noted. "I'm more kind of skimming it than I am reading." In an IGN interview, he also mentioned that he feels creative play can help.

Overall, Holland's done a wonderful service in sharing his private diagnosis so the world can better understand dyslexia. However, he's not the only celebrity who lives with dyslexia and doesn't care if everyone knows.

Another movie (and TV) star who's been open about being dyslexic is "Friends" legend Jennifer Aniston. In 2015, Aniston discussed her dyslexia experiences with The Hollywood Reporter. Ironically, she didn't know she had dyslexia until she went to the optometrist. "I went to get a prescription for glasses," said Aniston. "[They] put a computer on my eyes, showing where my eyes went when I read. My eyes would jump four words and go back two words." (Side note: Aniston has revealed a history of sleepwalking, too.)

Interestingly, learning she had dyslexia was a relief to Aniston, who had presumed she just wasn't smart because she couldn't retain what she read. Indeed, the International Dyslexia Association mentions that low self-esteem can be common in some people who are dyslexic.

Tom Cruise may have a list of hit films and other projects on IMDb, but the superstar actor hasn't always had an easy road due to his dyslexia. In a 1986 Parade interview, he admitted that other children teased him for being dyslexic (via Yahoo!) Yet he persisted and credits becoming a Scientologist for helping him find out how to study and understand what he read in a methodical way. According to Biography, Cruise went from being unable to memorize words to being sure he could learn whatever he wanted. (Sounds like his mission to reduce his dyslexic symptoms was far from impossible.)

It's hard to imagine that an iconic singer like Cher was once admonished by people who said she wasn't living up to her potential. But that's what she was reportedly told in school because of low grades (via Dyslexia Help). Eventually, Cher dropped out before her senior year.

When did Cher finally realize that she was capable but simply had a disorder that affected her ability to read and understand words? She had to wait until she was in her 30s for a diagnosis. Though this may sound late, it's better than never being told. Ability Central estimates that up to 40% of adults have dyslexia and don't know it.

(Fun fact about Cher: Her hair was one of the surprising traits men found attractive 50 years ago.)

Although he eventually dropped out of school, actor Keanu Reeves — who has dyslexia — was a bookworm as a kid. As he once told Esquire, "My step-grandfather worked for Encyclopedia Britannica. In my room, I would just open them up. There was a curiosity there. I really enjoyed it."

Reeves' love of books might appear to be at odds with his dyslexia. But linguistic expert Karina Richland noted in Psychology Today that it's not. Why? "When children with dyslexia receive instruction that clearly and systematically teaches the building blocks of language—phonemes, graphemes, and their connections—they begin to unlock the code of written language and how language works," she said.

Legendary movie director Steven Spielberg found out about his dyslexia very late. He was in his 60s when he was finally diagnosed. As he explained to interviewer Quinn of Inqluded, the revelation "explained a lot of things" (via YouTube).

For instance, Spielberg described being "unable to read" for a couple of years when he was young. He also admitted that he was uncomfortable when asked to read. However, he says he "never felt like a victim," and he credits that positivity for helping him move forward and embrace a love of movies. 

(Want more Spielberg trivia? He's among the celebs over 40 who have ditched caffeine and are thriving.)

According to Dyslexia Daily, actor Channing Tatum felt different as a child due to his dyslexia and ADHD. "I could never read very fast or very well," he reportedly explained. Tatum has also declared that the education system just doesn't work: "If we can streamline a multibillion-dollar company, we should be able to help kids who struggle the way I did" (via Page Six).

Ironically, Tatum went on "Saturday Night Live," but had to overcome the same dyslexia-related fears described by Tom Holland. He recalled the experience as terrifying "because there is a lot of reading involved, and I don't read that well out loud" (via Backstage). Fortunately, he received a piece of advice from Samuel L. Jackson that stuck. As he said on "The Howard Stern Show" (via YouTube), Jackson helped him treat script and character analysis as a conversation rather than memorizing lines.

Known for his humor, actor Dax Shepard admitted to Entertainment Tonight that his ability to quickly make up a joke came from his early dyslexia experiences. "I had dyslexia very bad as a child, and I got taken to the special-ed room every day, which was very humiliating," remembered Shepard.

To hold onto his pride, he transformed into the class clown. It might not surprise you to hear that his antics got him in trouble throughout his school years. However, his coping mechanism for his condition set him up for what has become a long and happy career.