Here are the top 100 famous people with dyslexia, from actors and athletes to business leaders, authors and politicians. Use them as role models to show your dyslexic child what they can achieve.
Many famous people are dyslexic and have incredible talents. The list includes:
- actors
- sportspeople
- business leaders
- authors
- politicians
Around 1 in 10 people are dyslexic, according to the British Dyslexia Association. Many dyslexic people are creative thinkers and great problem solvers, and lots have found success in business, sport and the arts.
100 famous people that are dyslexic
Dyslexic people may struggle to learn to read and write, yet they can still achieve incredible things. Many artists, inventors and footballers are dyslexic. Some names from history, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein, were never diagnosed, so it is believed rather than known that they were dyslexic.
Here is the list of 100 famous people with dyslexia who have achieved great things:
- Pablo Picasso
- Orlando Bloom
- Muhammad Ali
- Emma Grede
- Darcey Bussell
- Tom Holland
- Eddie Izzard
- Lil Pump
- Steve McQueen
- Róisín Murphy
- Winston Churchill
- John Lennon
- Lewis Hamilton
- Ben Fogle
- Gwen Stefani
- Joss Stone
- David Bailey
- Damon Albarn
- Steve Jobs
- Noel Gallagher
- Robbie Williams
- Dominic Wood
- Guy Ritchie
- Theo Paphitis
- Caitlyn Jenner
- Mel B
- Keira Knightley
- Jim Carrey
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Princess Beatrice
- Paloma Faith
- Walt Disney
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Matt Hancock
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Steve Redgrave
- Salma Hayek
- Keanu Reeves
- Jamie Oliver
- Richard Branson
- Duncan Goodhew
- Holly Willoughby
- Tom Cruise
- Albert Einstein
- Stephen Hawking
- Cher
- Robin Williams
- Jennifer Aniston
- Agatha Christie
- Steven Spielberg
- Maggie Aderin-Pocock
- Anthony Hopkins
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Jackie Stewart
- Meryl Davis
- Erin Brockovich
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Danny Glover
- Oliver Reed
- Vince Vaughn
- Nigel Kennedy
- Michael Faraday
- Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
- Andy Warhol
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Gustave Flaubert
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Sally Gardner
- Spike Lee
- John Travolta
- Henry Winkler
- Anderson Cooper
- Octavia Spencer
- Florence Welch
- Lewis Carroll
- W.B. Yeats
- The Wright Brothers
- Henry Ford
- Bill Gates
- George Washington
- Nelson Rockefeller
- Lord Alan Sugar
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Chris Rock
- Dustin Hoffman
- Magic Johnson
- James Martin
- Fred Astaire
- Roald Dahl
- Ben Elton
- Thomas Edison
- Harrison Ford
- Charles Schwab
- Ingvar Kamprad
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Prince Harry
- Eric Shipton
- Liv Tyler
- Benjamin Zephaniah
Try it today: a 10-minute role model chat
Talking about famous dyslexic people helps your child see dyslexia as part of who they are, not something to hide.
- Pick 3 names (2 minutes). Choose people your child knows, like a favourite actor, footballer or author.
- Look them up together (3 minutes). Find one thing each person is great at.
- Spot the strengths (3 minutes). Ask: “What do you think helped them succeed?” Talk about creativity, determination and problem solving.
- Link it to your child (2 minutes). “You’re brilliant at building things, just like…” Finish with one strength your child has.
Help for you and your child, in one parcel
The SEN Mums Journal gets you through the hard moments. The SEN Kids Toolkit gives you 20 ten-minute activities to do together. Both books for £24, save 20%.
Famous dyslexic people in history
Did you know that some of history’s greatest minds are believed to have struggled with reading and writing? Here are some famous historical figures often described as dyslexic:
- Leonardo da Vinci (artist and inventor) – the Renaissance genius behind the Mona Lisa
- Albert Einstein (physicist) – the brilliant scientist who changed how we understand the universe
- Agatha Christie (novelist) – famous for her detective novels
- Winston Churchill (prime minister) – the iconic British wartime leader
- Walt Disney (animator and entrepreneur) – the founder of Disney
Helpful articles
- Famous people with dyslexia: actors, musicians and leaders
- Famous dyslexics from the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity
- List of people with dyslexia on Wikipedia
The bottom line
From Tom Holland and Keira Knightley to Richard Branson and Muhammad Ali, dyslexic people succeed in every walk of life. Share their stories with your child, and help them spot their own strengths.
