There are many well-known celebrities that have been diagnosed with dyslexia all over the world, however, very few are Canadian. In this blog post, we explore 12 Canadian celebrities and well-known figures who have dyslexia.
1. Brent Sopel
Brent Sopel is a former NHL player and his daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2015. It was then that he learned he too was dyslexic. Brent’s experience of growing up undiagnosed motivated him to launch the Brent Sopel Foundation. As Brent struggled a lot in school, he says “I don’t want a single child to grow up the way I did.”
2. Paul Dewar
Former elementary school teacher and Canadian MP, Paul Dewar, had always been quite open about his dyslexia. Speaking to Canadian Press, he said “I never saw this as something that held me back. In a sense, it kind of allowed me to go further ahead in a way…It's allowed me to really take things on.”
3. Dan Carter
Canadian Mayor Dan Carter wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until he was a teenager. He struggled in school failing several grades. Speaking with Local Love, he said “I was ashamed, embarrassed—I had no self-esteem and a complete lack of confidence. I hid it pretty well for 18 years so I thought no one would ever know.”
4. David Chalk
David Chalk is a successful Canadian entrepreneur who has been diagnosed with dyslexia. From a young age, David Chalk struggled in school and his mother supported him with reading, writing and homework. When speaking with Abilities Magazine, David said “One of the things your brain wants to do when you have my type of dyslexia is be creative and teach and educate. So it was just a natural spinoff, the speaking, the radio, the writing… the thing that was challenging me became a benefit.”
5. Phil Hanley
Phil Hanley is a Canadian Comedian and is very open about his dyslexia. He often uses his experiences of dyslexia within his stand-up comedy performances. Phil Hanley has even taken his comedy and jokes about his dyslexia to the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!
6. Taylor Reid
Taylor Reid is a Canadian Triathlete who was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 8. He says “Triathlon has helped me develop as a person, get my degree and overcome dyslexia.” Taylor Reid has been working with The Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia Association to help spread awareness about dyslexia. You can learn more about Taylor here.
7. Matt Black
Matt Black is a former CFL player born in Ontario, Canada. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 7 and found academics difficult. Speaking to The Star, he said “My love of sports pushed me to do well in school so I could continue to play. I had the athletic ability to get there but I had to achieve certain grades.” He told them “The academic side was going to hold me back and I didn’t want to let that happen.”
8. Tie Domi
Tie Domi is a Canadian former NHL player. He has dyslexia as well as attention deficit disorder which made his school years challenging. Tie Domi has written a memoir in which he dictated through interviews with a journalist. He told the National Post that he “went through every single line. I wanted my voice said my way.”
9. John Fluevog
John Fluevog is a Canadian shoe designer who was diagnosed with dyslexia during his school years. In high school, he learned to play the trumpet but struggled to read sheet music. John Fluevog had never really considered himself to be an artistic person until he created his boutique shoe business. You can learn more about John Fluevog here.
10. Jillian Gallays
Jillian Gallays is a Canadian freestyle wrestler and competed in the 2016 Olympics. Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age and being a full-time athlete, she achieved a degree in Kinesiology. You can learn more about Jillian Gallays here.
11. Dale MacKay
Dale MacKay is a Canadian Chef who won Top Chef Canada in 2011. Diagnosed with dyslexia during school, MacKay has gone from high school dropout to world-renowned chef working with other famous chefs like Gordan Ramsey and even working in Michelin star restaurants.
12. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor best known for playing the character Neo in the Matrix. He attended 4 different schools growing up and found education difficult due to his dyslexia. Keanu Reeves ended up dropping out of high school at age 17 and despite this, is now one of Canada’s biggest and most well-known actors.
Do you know any Canadian celebrities with dyslexia that we’ve missed off our list? Email info@dyslexiacanada.org to let us know!