Celebrities often credit their mothers with steering them toward success. For some stars with learning and attention issues, Mum’s support was essential. See what these celebs have to say about their mothers.
Channing Tatum
ADHD and dyslexia made school hard for Tatum. But the actor’s mother encouraged him to learn outside the classroom. “My mom said, ‘Be a sponge.’ And so I’ve learned more from people than I have from school or from books,” he says.
--T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Keira Knightley
Even as a young child, Knightley wanted to be an actress. But her dyslexia made it difficult to read and recite lines. To encourage her, Knightley’s playwright mum gave her a copy of the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, which she’d worked on with actress and screenwriter (and Knightley’s idol) Emma Thompson. Knightley’s mother told her, “If Emma Thompson couldn’t read, she’d make … sure she’d get over it, so you have to start reading, because that’s what Emma Thompson would do.” And it worked!
--The Guardian
Ryan Gosling
As a child, Gosling was diagnosed with ADHD and had trouble reading. He was bullied at school and didn’t have any friends until he was a teenager. Concerned, his mum homeschooled him for a year. Shortly afterward, he began acting. Of his 2006 Oscar nomination, Gosling says, “It meant a lot to me because it meant a lot to the people that I love. Especially my mother … she’s been fighting [for me] since I was born.”
--Entertainment Weekly
Muhammad Ali
Growing up, the boxing champ had trouble reading and spelling. He has dyslexia and says he barely graduated from high school. But that didn’t stop his mum from supporting his dreams. “My mother once told me that my confidence in myself made her believe in me. I thought that was funny, because it was her confidence in me that strengthened my belief in myself. I didn’t realize it then, but from the very beginning, my parents were helping me build the foundation for my life.”
--The Soul of a Butterfly
Channing Tatum
ADHD and dyslexia made school hard for Tatum. But the actor’s mother encouraged him to learn outside the classroom. “My mom said, ‘Be a sponge.’ And so I’ve learned more from people than I have from school or from books,” he says.
--T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Keira Knightley
Even as a young child, Knightley wanted to be an actress. But her dyslexia made it difficult to read and recite lines. To encourage her, Knightley’s playwright mum gave her a copy of the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, which she’d worked on with actress and screenwriter (and Knightley’s idol) Emma Thompson. Knightley’s mother told her, “If Emma Thompson couldn’t read, she’d make … sure she’d get over it, so you have to start reading, because that’s what Emma Thompson would do.” And it worked!
--The Guardian
Ryan Gosling
As a child, Gosling was diagnosed with ADHD and had trouble reading. He was bullied at school and didn’t have any friends until he was a teenager. Concerned, his mum homeschooled him for a year. Shortly afterward, he began acting. Of his 2006 Oscar nomination, Gosling says, “It meant a lot to me because it meant a lot to the people that I love. Especially my mother … she’s been fighting [for me] since I was born.”
--Entertainment Weekly
Muhammad Ali
Growing up, the boxing champ had trouble reading and spelling. He has dyslexia and says he barely graduated from high school. But that didn’t stop his mum from supporting his dreams. “My mother once told me that my confidence in myself made her believe in me. I thought that was funny, because it was her confidence in me that strengthened my belief in myself. I didn’t realize it then, but from the very beginning, my parents were helping me build the foundation for my life.”
--The Soul of a Butterfly
RSS Feed