Those with Dyslexia are sometimes thought of as unintelligent. This is far from the truth. If you look around, there are many famous dyslexics that have help change the world. This video shows that being dyslexic isn’t a barrier to being a world leader in your chosen profession.
Number 9: Ross Noble
Ross Noble is an English stand-up comedian and actor, he made his film debut in the 2012 horror movie Stitches. Known for being a regular guest on Have I Got News For You, he also won the Time Out award in 2000, for his Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Chickenmaster. Noble’s style of comedy can be described as surreal, spontaneous and unpredictable. He discovered he was dyslexic at the age of 11.
Number 8: Ruby Wax
Known for her trademark manic hair and red lips, Ruby Wax was originally an actress, before going into comedy. She started her acting career at the Crucible Theatre, but created a name in comedy as a backstage interviewer, at The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball. Dyslexia was an important factor in her stepping into comedy, Wax explains “I was dyslexic, and would make up sentences and people would laugh. I wasn’t trying to be funny. I just chose the wrong words.”
Number 7: John Bishop
Bishop was originally a medical representative for the pharmaceutical company Syntex, but in 2006 he left to pursue a career as a full-time comedian. In 2013 Bishop won the Best Male Comedy Breakthrough Artist in the British Comedy Awards. He is also known for his charity work, raising £4.2m for Sport Relief 2012 and taking part in the Channel 4 Comedy Gala, helping Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Number 6: Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. In 2014 Channel 5 included him in their Greatest Stand-Up Comedians list. He has appeared in a range of films, such as The Muppets Show, Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels and most recently The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. One interesting fact about him is that at the age of 15, he left school with two engineering qualifications; one was collected by mistake which belonged to another student.
Number 5: Brendan O’Carroll
You have probably seen him in Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie as the main protagonist Agnes Brown. Brendan O’Carroll has been on the comedy scene since the early 90s. From a struggling screenwriter to an aspiring stand-up comedian, O’ Carroll is currently worth £10 million. He is an actor, producer, director and comedian. Previously married to Doreen O’Carroll from 1977 to 1999, he remarried in 2005, to Irish actress, Jennifer Gibney.
Number 4: Jay Leno
Previously a host on The Tonight Show, Leno remembers his mother saying, “You’re just going to have to work a little harder than the other kids to get exactly the same thing”. During the 1970s Leno, began his comedy career and appeared in various minor role in TV and films. A regular Philanthropist, Leno donated $100 000 for a scholarship fund to Salem State University, in 2009. In February 2014, Leno retired from The Tonight Show but continues to do stand-up comedy.
Number 3: Eddie Izzard
In 2007, Channel 4 listed him number 3 of the 100 Greatest British National Comedians, Izzard has starred in films such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Oceans Twelve, and Valkyrie. At the age of four, Izzard revealed that he knew he was a transvestite. He is popular for his controversial and stream of consciousness style. John Cleese described him as the “Lost Python” because of Izzard’s role model, the Monty Python gang.
Number 2: Whoopi Goldberg
Currently a host on the popular US chat show The View, Whoopi Goldberg began her career in 1982. Most commonly known as Sister Mary Clarence in the Sister Act film series, she is also one of ten people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award. Active in promoting awareness of discrimination against the LGBT community, she is also a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
Number 1: Robin Williams
Known for his upbeat and positive attitude towards life, Robin Williams was accepted on a full scholarship at Julliard School and made his first on-screen appearance in the late 1970s. He is most known for his roles in Mrs Doubtfire, Aladdin, Jumanji and Night at the Museum. In 1986, he founded Comic Relief USA with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal. He continued doing stand-up until his untimely death in 2014.
Video produced by Sean Douglas, Words by James Child
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The Codpast is a multimedia production from www.extraordinaire.tv
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