Most fans hold celebrities up as the standard of near perfection. They have talent, beauty, glamour, charisma and success. But, like the rest of us, many of these well-known personalities have "issues". Many have physical deformities that are often hidden from the public or are coping with little known problems which make their bodies less than "perfect".
How many people know that Stephen Colbert is deaf in his right ear as a result of a ruptured ear drum he suffered as a child. He can bend his ear inward and flip it back out by winking his eye. Gary Burghoff, Radar from the long running series MASH has a congenital deformity that affected the development of his left hand. And on it goes. Webbed toes, damaged hands or fingers, extra digits on hands or feet, and more-some well known stars face such demons on a daily basis.
Comedy star, writer and actor Damon Wayans had surgery as a child to correct a clubbed foot. This condition occurs in one in one thousand. He was the third of ten children born to a grocery store manager and social worker and grew up in a New York housing project. Today, Damon keeps folks laughing with his stand up routines and in television with roles on "My Wife and Kids"(2001) and "In Living Color"(1990). This father of four moves forward in spite of past difficulties.
Academy Award nominated actor Andy Garcia was born with a co- joined twin the size of a softball attached at his shoulder. When he was a toddler, doctors surgically removed the unformed fetus. He and his affluent parents fled Cuba when Fidel Castro gained power.In high school, Andy contracted mononucleosis and hepatitis, which changed his aspirations from sports to acting. Today, Garcia is one of Hollywood's most private and guarded leading men, having enjoyed an iconic role in Godfather III.
British soul and R&B singer-songwriter Seal has sold more than 30 million albums world-wide and is known for his international hits. He has numerous music awards throughout his career. On the personal side, Seal and wife German model and television star Heidi Klum recently ended their seven year marriage. He continues to do what he loves, making music.
The scars on his face have long been the source of question and speculation. they are, in fact, the result of a form of lupus, discoid lupus erythematosus, a skin condition that effects areas above the neck.
American singer, songwriter and rapper Kesha dropped out of high school to pursue a music career and hasn't looked back. In 2005, at the age of 18, she signed to a recording contract and performed in the studio, doing backgrounds until she begin cutting her own records. She developed an eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and spent two months in a rehab facility. Upon her release in March, 2014, Kesha is "working on tons of new music".
Most fans aren't aware that Kesha was born with a vestigial tail about a quarter of an inch in length. The tail was surgically removed and is tucked away in her past issues.
Dame
Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress, considered one of the world's most beautiful women.
From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great
screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. She died on March 23, 2011 at the age of 79.
Her multitude of fans will remember her beautiful violet eyes, but they don't know that the star suffered from distichiasis, extra eyelashes. The condition causes eyelashes to grow within the eyelids which can result in eye irritation, inflammation and even scarring or ulcers.
Star of
stage and film, Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is perhaps best known for his
roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion pictures How Stella Got Her
Groove Back and The Best Man, and the television series Private Practice. His nickname, Taye,
comes from the playful pronunciation of Scotty as "Scottay". He received a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University and started his career in the 1994 Tony Award winning drama Carousel.
Taye was born with an extra finger on each hand and the extra digits were removed during his childhood.
There are lessons to be learned from these stories of the rich and famous. One is that the grass always looks greener on the other side. Another is that despite difficulties, one can reach his goals with perseverance. Success once attained looks like a walk in the park, but no one knows the challenges another faces in order to "make it".
For more celebrities with physical deformities, check out the article on the Madame Noire site.
1 comments:
Here's a Fun Fact: I was born with a right leg. I had it surgically removed when I was 34 years old.
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