Theoretically, stuttering is a disorder in which a person’s speech is affected by involuntary prolongation and repetitions of sounds, syllables, words and spontaneous pausing between sentences. It is a condition in which an individual’s speech flow is hindered, resulting in the person giving up on with the message he intended to say. But psychologically, stuttering is a disorder in the recipient’s mind that makes the person fire discouraging statements and comments on the person who is stuttering. The way with which a stutterer is looked up on in the society is truly miserable and any information the stutterer intends to convey breaks halfway. This makes him frustrated, give up on the life he lives and sometimes choose a path of solitariness. They often take up jobs and careers that involves less talking. But successful are only those who embrace themselves, work hard on their demerits and emerge victorious. And to be honest, there are several celebrities and people out there who have done just that. As a roundup, here’s a list of celebrities and personalities, who are stutterers.
1. Lewis Carroll:
Originally named as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, we know Lewis Carroll as a popular writer alone. But other than that, the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland author’s passions include mathematics and photography as well. One of the most renowned writers of all time, Lewis Carroll suffered from this disorder like his siblings and took serious steps to overcome. On successful overcoming, Carroll then went on to speak and even sing in the public. Inspiring!
2. Winston Churchill:
United Kingdom’s one of the best known war leaders and Prime Minister was a historian, an efficient officer in the British Army, a writer, an artist as well. His confession on the disorder he had, and his efforts to completely overcome this condition were very much evident, as he went on from being a stutterer to one of the best orators ever. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature and was also the first person in the history of United Kingdom to be regarded as the honorary citizen of the United States of America.
3. King George VI:
Yes, he is the ruler who has been depicted in the Academy Award winning film – The King’s Speech. The second son of King George V, who later on went on to become the King of the United Kingdom was also the last emperor to rule in India. He was an inspiring icon in his dynasty as he struggled, fought and overcame his speaking disorder and gave a speech over the radio.
4. Sir Isaac Newton:
The scientist, whose research on the science of gravity is considered to be one of the most influential discoveries of the world, was a victim of this disorder. He was a physicist, a mathematician and is considered to be one of the world’s most remarkable scientists. And after Sir Francis Bacon, Newton was the second scientist to have been knighted. He was knighted on April 1705.
5. Elvis Presley:
Fondly known as the King of Rock, Elvis Presley is a cultural icon and a hall of famer. His first single Heartbreak Hotel that was released in the year 1956 brought him into the limelight and gave birth to a new genre of music which is now called Rock and Roll. He has been nominated 14 times at the Grammy’s, out of which he has won three. At the age of 36, he received Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement award. To the people, he is always the King who played a key role in revolutionizing music.
6. Rowan Atkinson:
Hailing from England, Rowan Atkinson is widely popular as Mr. Bean. His incorporation of the disorder in his shows proves that a person can indeed bring out something positive from his demerits and emerge successful. Apart from being a comedian, Rowan Atkinson is also a screenwriter. Included in the Observer’s top 50 British Comedy Artistes list, Atkinson’s successful ventures include the Mr. Bean TV series, Johnny English, Johnny English Reborn and Not the Nine O’clock News.
7. Tiger Woods:
Prodigy by birth, Tiger Woods started golfing at the age of 2. He then shot a 48 over nine holes at the age of 3, who later appeared on That’s Incredible show on ABC and Golf Digest at 5. And according to Forbes, he is one of the highest paid athletes in the world and has been ranked World No 1 for 8 times. Regarded as one of the icons and best golfers in the history, Tiger Woods has had his share of sufferings through the disorder. However, that did not bring him down from accomplishing his feat.
8. Samuel L. Jackson:
His performance in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 blockbuster flick Pulp Fiction would never make it seem that Samuel Jackson was a victim of this disorder. His diction and dialogue delivery has been unparallel in Hollywood so far, and surprisingly he was subjected to stuttering. He has over 100 films under his credits out of which the most successful ventures include Kill Bill Volume 2, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, the Avengers and much more. Mentored by the veteran Morgan Freeman and Spike Lee, Samuel Jackson is truly a treasure to the Hollywood film industry.
9. Bruce Willis:
One of the greatest action heroes Hollywood has ever produced, Bruce Willis unfortunately suffered from stammering. The reason behind his stammering is believed to be the divorce of his parents during his teens, whose trauma had led him end up with such disorder. Often criticized and teased as Buck-buck in school, he then rose from his fall, joined the Drama Club, arrived as an action hero and competed against the best known hunks like Arnold, Sylvester and the likes.
10. Marilyn Monroe:
Monroe, the woman who could make men go crazy by here mere screen presence had been a stutterer in her life. One of the best looking women of the 1950’s and 60’s (even now), Monroe started her career as a model which later fetched her film contract in the 1940’s. Apart from being an actor and a symbol, she was a singer as well. Some of her successful films include The Asphalt Jungle, All About Eve, Bus Stop for which she won a Golden Globe nomination, The Seven Year Itch and others.
All these people who have been mentioned above, they don’t have just their popularity, reach and career success in common. Besides their financial conditions and worldly recognitions, there is something else that binds them. They are bonded by the fact that they all suffered from a serious speaking disorder that could have turned their lives upside down and taken them somewhere else in their lives. But, they chose not to give up, not to succumb to their weakness. They chose to accept, fight and overcome them. All their efforts have led them to where they were or where they are right now. So for those millions of people, who suffer from any kind of disorder out there, never let your weakness dominate your strength. If you feel sympathetic about yourself, consider that the disorder lies on your mindset. So, get out there, embrace your strengths, eliminate your weaknesses and take your life where you want to take it to and not where it leads you to. Get inspired, get successful!
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