Can I still act if I have dyslexia?

Dyslexia, often misunderstood as a barrier to success, has proven to be a hidden strength for many actors. In the world of TV and film, where scripts, character analysis, and on-the-spot creativity are essential, dyslexic actors often bring unique talents that set them apart from their peers. 
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects around 10% of all people however, with arts this is predicted to triple! People who struggle with dyslexia often excel in creative thinking and problem solving, making them fantastic and resilient performers despite troubles with reading and writing.

Dyslexia is often associated with just difficulty in reading, but it also comes with strengths that are particularly valuable in the acting world:

1. Enhanced Creativity
   Many individuals with dyslexia excel in creative thinking and problem-solving. They approach challenges from unique perspectives, making their performances dynamic and original.
2. Strong Emotional Intelligence
   Dyslexia can heighten emotional sensitivity and empathy, crucial traits for actors. These qualities allow dyslexic performers to connect deeply with their characters and convey authentic emotions on screen or stage.
3. Exceptional Memory for Dialogue
   While reading scripts may take more time, many dyslexic actors develop exceptional auditory and visual memory. Once they hear or see a scene, they can often recall dialogue and blocking with remarkable accuracy.
4. Improvisation Skills
   Dyslexia often forces individuals to think on their feet in everyday situations. This adaptability translates well to acting, where improvisation and quick thinking can make or break a performance.

Some of the most celebrated actors have been diagnosed with dyslexia, a fabulous show of not letting anything hold you back from your dreams. 

• Jennifer Anniston - Known best for her role in 90’s sitcom Friends as Rachel Green, she is a very successful comedic actor and in recent years delved more into drama. In 2020 and 2022 she received a SAG award for her role in hard-hitting drama The Morning Show. 

Diagnosed later in life Anniston, says she “went to get a prescription for glasses…I had to read a paragraph, and they gave me a quiz, gave me 10 questions based on what i’d just read, and I think I got three” and opened up on how her school life was a struggle as she couldn’t retain much information but attributes that struggle to developing a good sense of humour, something that landed her a job in one of the biggest sit-coms of all time!

• Whoopi Goldberg - She has achieved the very prestigious EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards) one of only 21 people in the world to have achieved this. Coming from a working class background, she dropped out of high school at 17 and became heavily involved with drugs, making her successes even more inspiring.

Speaking on how she thinks her dyslexia has affected her she stated “I think perhaps it made me more introspective. Made me more thoughtful, maybe slightly slower in how I do things because it takes me a minute sometimes to figure things out.” Perhaps her thoughtfulness is what makes her performances so nuanced, perhaps she is successful not in spite of dyslexia but because of it!

• Keanu Reeves - In 2022 Keanu was named the 4th best actor of the 21st century. His performances in The Matrix and John Wick franchises are thought of as cult classics beloved by thousands.  

He, like many dyslexic individuals, found his school life to be a struggle and was expelled. Opening up about his early years, Reeves said “because I had trouble reading I wasn’t a good student” he turned to acting as a coping mechanism “I didn’t finish high school. I did a lot of pretending as a child. It was my way of coping with the fact that I didn’t really feel like I fit in” 

• Tom Holland - Best known as the most recent Spiderman, Tom is a BAFTA award winning screen actor, one of the most promising talents of his generation. 

The only performer on this list to get his diagnosis young, Tom was diagnosed with dyslexia at 7 and received support throughout his school years. When he was asked advice on how he juggles an acting career with dyslexia he said “It’s just about taking your time, and giving yourself an appropriate amount of time to do the things you need to do” 

• Salma Hayek - Moving to america from Mexico at 25 to pursue a career in Hollywood, Salma didn’t just have to learn how to thrive in the industry despite her dyslexia, but learned a whole new language and she still ended up being a highly successful screen actor, most notably portraying artist Frida Kahlo.

Salma has now found a way to manage her difficulty while mastering her craft. “It doesn’t bother me now… Some people read really fast, but you’ll ask them questions about the script and they’ll forget. I take a long time to read a script, but I read it only once, I directed [The Maldonado Miracle] and I never brought a script to set” 

Being a neurodiverse performer can have many challenges but it also makes you a highly creative individual which is a huge advantage in the acting world.
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We have some tips here that are sure to help you thrive in your passion: 

1. Use the technology available, in recent times there has been an increase in text-to-speech apps and audio books to help aid in script reading and learning. Hearing the script can aid you in memorising and visualising the script. 
2. Focus on your visualisation skills, Creating mental images of your scenes and dialog will help you see the script as a story to learn. 
3. Collaborate with the directors and coaches, Communicate your needs with directors or acting coaches. They can help tailor rehearsals or provide additional resources to support your process. Although this can be scary, a supportive agent will make all of the difference and remember, dyslexia is covered by the Equality Act 2010, meaning educators and employers alike are obligated to provide reasonable adjustments or support.
4. Break the script down, Divide scripts into manageable sections and focus on one part at a time. Annotate your script with notes, highlighting key emotional beats or character motivations.
5. Practice improv, Confidence can be a real mental block for any performer, but especially those struggling with dyslexia. The brain make-up causes issues with memory and comprehension, but then the anxiety that brings on can be the mind-killer. Understanding the workings of improvisation can reassure you that, being on set is something you can handle!

The creative arts and entertainment industry is becoming more aware of the need for inclusivity and representation, not just in terms of race, gender and sexuality but also disabilities and neurodiversity. Actors with dyslexia bring invaluable skills and new perspectives that are vital to be celebrated by casting directors, agents and the world. 

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