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Shyness is Everywhere
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Shy/Socially Phobic Celebrities & Everyday People
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There is no question that shyness robs us of opportunities that other people take for granted. But what if we didn't give in to our shyness? Or what if some of our equally shy historical figures did? What if they had given in to their shyness and never achieved their goals? Would their lives have been the same? Would our lives have been the same? You be the judge.
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Did you know that Abraham Lincoln, Orville Wright, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were all shy at one time in their lives? How about Tom Hanks or Lucille Ball?
Personally, I wasn't surprised to hear about Abraham Lincoln. He always seemed to have a mysterious quality about him, as many shy people do. And Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein---well, they were scientists. I think we expect scientists to be more reserved because their craft demands a high degree of concentration that often isolates them from the general public. But Lucille Ball---the woman we watched stuffing chocolates in her mouth from a conveyor belt with sidekick Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy---somehow that's harder to believe. And Tom Hanks---that multifaceted actor we've grown to know and love?
I have included this page to prove a point. While shyness challenges us and makes our lives more difficult, shyness does not have to rule our lives! All of the people listed below have struggled with shyness at some point in their lives, but that didn't stop them. The human spirit is a wonderful thing, capable of overcoming monumental hurdles---even shyness!
As you read on, you may be surprised to see just how many famous people have been shy. But remember, nearly 50% of the adult population in the United States is believed to be shy, with almost 40% of adults reporting they used to be shy at some point earlier in their lives, that leaves only 11% of those surveyed reporting they have never been shy at all. Fear of public speaking is considered to be the number one phobia in this country and as many as 13.3% of the population is estimated to have struggled with social phobia at one time or another. With numbers like these, it would be hard to find enough people to be celebrities, if we excluded all the people who have ever been shy.
Shyness is not who we are,
but something we feel while we do the things we do.
Shyness does not have to keep us from achieving our goals unless we let it! Many of the people listed below overcame their shyness, but some never did---at lease not completely. But that didn't stop them. You can still be shy and achieve your goals. And while you may not become the president of the United States, a great inventor or the star of your own television show, with the right support and enough hard work, chances are you, too, can achieve your goals.
Pick a few people on this page and surf the biographical links to their life stories. Don't be disappointed if the celebrity sites only mention shyness in passing. That's as it should be, because shyness is not who these people are, but rather something they felt while they were doing the things that made them special. I have included links to famous people, living people, dead people and plain ordinary people like you and me.
* Hint -- Netscape and Explorer users can go directly to citations on shyness by clicking on the links below, pressing CTRL F and entering the word "shy" in the Find window that will pop up on the linked page.
Historical Figures . . .
Abraham Lincoln He may have given the Gettysburg Address and led our country through a civil war, but when it came to courting women, Lincoln was a shy and, in many ways, awkward man. http://kentuckyexplorer.com/nonmembers/01-02058.html
Albert Einstein Einstein didn't let his shyness get in the way of saving Jews from Hitler's rule and developing the Theory of Relativity and E=MC2. http://trillian.com/bio/Einstien.htm
Annie Oakley Annie Oakley overcame both shyness and poverty to become a star in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/oakl-ann.htm
Clara Barton Best know for having founded the Red Cross, Clara Barton was a nurse who braved the battlefields to tend the wounded during the Civil War. http://www.geocities.com/1stdragoon/files/cb1.html
Eleanor Roosevelt Painfully shy as a child, Eleanor Roosevelt grew into one of our nations strongest female political figures. http://www.multied.com/bio/ladies/ae_roosevelt.html
Orville Wright By trade Orville and his brother Wilbur repaired and manufactured bicycles, but their real fascination was with flight. What most people don't know is that Orville was exceptionally shy. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20031214/ai_n10925706
Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt's shyness was said to stem from asthma which led him to be slight in build in his youth. http://www.fullbooks.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-An-Intimate-Biography1.html
Thomas Edison Extremely shy, this inventor is said to have given up hopes of becoming a Shakespearian actor due to shyness and a high pitched voice. Fortunately, his shyness didn't prevent him from inventing the light bulb. http://www.thomasedison.com/biog.htm
Thomas Jefferson He may have written the Declaration of Independence, but the only time this shy politician was said to have spoken publicly during his presidency was at his inauguration and when it came to delivering legislative proposals, that was done in writing. http://www.americanpresident.org/history/thomasjefferson/
Ulysses S. Grant His success as a general in the Union army led to his election as President of the United States, but he, too, was shy. http://www.americanpresident.org/history/ulyssessgrant/
Entertainers . . .
Ann Margaret Winner of five Golden Globe Awards and veteran of forty-two films that span more than thirty years, Ann Margaret was also shy as a child. (Hint - scroll down past the advertisements to see the article.) http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=841372&cat=22936&type=4&dept=4104&path=0%3A4104%3A4115%3A5079%3A22936
Bob Dylan Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941, this shy youth went on to become one of the greatest folk singers and composers of his time. (Hint - scroll down past the advertisements to see the article.) http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3716/20708
Brad Pitt Known for his portrayal of exciting energetic characters on the screen, Brad Pitt is said to be shy and protective in his personal life. http://www.femail.com.au/ma_bradpitt.htm
Carrie Underwood She "isn't shy about her shyness." That's what they're saying about Carrie Underwood, the fourth winner of the American Idol television series. Her first album debuted in the number one position on Billboard's chart. Not bad for this shy, but talented, young Oklahoma woman! http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Underwood,_Carrie/Biography/
Cathy Rigby Cathy Rigby turned to gymnastics as a way to help her overcome severe shyness. Eight gold medals later, she found herself working as a sports commentator for ABC and starring in Peter Pan on Broadway. Not bad for a shy girl! http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/speakers.asp?1+EV+424
Cher Bono Shy and introverted earlier in her career, Cher found her style with the help of then husband, Sonny Bono, and blossomed into a star in her own right. http://www.cherscholar.com/IGUB.htm
Courteney Cox Arquette Shy as a young girl and frequently picked on, Courteney Cox Arquette felt like an outsider growing up, but that didn't stop her from joining us in living rooms around the country in her role as Monica Geller on Friends. http://groups.msn.com/ULTIMATEFRIENDS/newsandarticles4.msnw
David Bowie Even rock stars can be shy. Check out David Bowie. http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/articles/87/no1m.html
David Letterman Like many of his fellow shy talk show hosts, David Letterman doesn't let his self-proclaimed "painful shyness" get in the way of interviewing his guests or entertaining his audiences. http://users.abac.com/ksitterley/walters.htm
Diane Schuur Jazz fans will know this name. Blinded as a child when too much oxygen in her incubator damaged her optic nerve, this once shy talent didn't let a little thing like that stop her and has gone on to be one of our great female jazz vocalists. http://www.corporateartists.com/dianeschuur.html
Don Rickles Don Rickles imitated his father's style of kidding people about themselves and found that, like his father, he could make friends by making people laugh. http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html
Donny Osmond In the public eye from the time he was small, the pressure of performing and being constantly judged eventually caught up with Donny in the form of Social Phobia. With the help of therapy Donny learned to "play with his fear instead of running from it." http://panicdisorder.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fstories%2F2000%2F02%2F24%2F48hours%2Fmain164444.shtml
Erin Brockovitch Like the Julia Robert's, who played Erin in the film that made Erin's name a household word, Erin struggled with shyness as a child. But that didn't stop Erin from setting a quarter billion dollar law suit dealing with exposure to toxic levels of Chromium 6 into motion. http://www.kkbooks.com/product103.html
Ella Fitzgerald Shy offstage, this Jazz legend was surprised to find that onstage she had no fear. http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=28
Elvis Presley Music was a form a self-expression for this talented shy young man who lost his footing to fame. http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/april99carter.htm
Garrison Keillor This multifaceted multitalented man brought us Lake Wobegon, made "A Prairie Home Companion" a household term and taught us to laugh at the shyness that he and so many of us have shared. http://www.mindspring.com/~celestia/keillor/index.htm
Gene Hackman Gene Hackman's film credits include the likes of Bonny And Clyde, The French Connection, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning and Enemy of the State in spite of a childhood shyness that has carried forward somewhat into adulthood. http://www.biography.com/tv/listings/hackman_g.html
George Harrison Often referred to as the "Quiet Beatle," this shy superstar helped shape the face of modern music. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Harrison
Gloria Estefan It helps to have a mentor. Husband and group leader, Emilio Estefan, is said to have helped a relatively shy Gloria come out of her shell to become the dynamic entertainer she is today. http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/performers/estefan.html
Harrison Ford Sexy and shy in one package? Sure, check out Oscar nominee Harrison Ford, who didn't let shyness get in the way of his pursuit of a successful acting career. http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/F/ford_harrison/index.shtml
Henry Fonda It's hard to believe this talented actor from Nebraska was painfully shy. http://www.filmnebraska.org/nebraskans_fonda.htm
Ingrid Bergman This talented actress and only child was afraid of her classmates in school. Sound familiar? But what a talent http://www.talentdevelop.com/introversion2.html
Jim Carrey Yes, Jim Carrey---he too was a shy quiet child who and didn't have many friends until he showed his comedic talents. http://www.geocities.com/jimcarreyfanjt/bio.html
Joan Rivers Probably best know for her work as a guest host pinch-hitting for fellow shy person Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, Joan was said to have used jokes to cover up her shyness when she was younger. http://www.joanrivers.com/AllAboutJoan/default.asp
Johnny Carson Many a television watcher shared the dawn of a new day with this fellow shy late night talk show host who seemed anything but shy on the screen. http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2001/02/20/carson/
Julia Roberts Born in Smyrna, Georgia, this once shy young woman has become one of the most popular actresses in America. http://www.channel4000.com/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/ent-mnatthemovies--990708-113716.html
Kevin Costner Awarding winning actor in his adult life, Kevin's mother encouraged him to join the choir as a way to help him overcome shyness caused by frequent moves as a child. http://www.netkushi.com/hollywood/kevin_costner.php
Louise Siversen Some of you baby-boomers may remember Louise from the television show The Prisoners or, perhaps, you saw her in one of her films. In any case, Louise is one of the many people who didn't let her shyness keep her from a career in show business. http://www.geocities.com/louise_siversen/lsbiog.html
Lucille Ball Perceived as shy by teachers at the John Murray Anderson dramatic school and discouraged from pursuing a career in show business, Lucille Ball did not give up. The rest is history. http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800011912&cf=biog&intl=us
Mary Chapin Carpenter I was surprised to learn that his dynamo on stage is one of us shy people. But as Mary says, "when you're in that place where you're really into what you're doing-whether onstage, or by yourself at your desk, or wherever-there is a great sense of fulfillment. It's one of the few times that you know who you are." http://home.earthlink.net/~dlgillilan/live.html
Mia Hamm Said to be the greatest all round women's soccer player, Mia, who holds the record for women's soccer goals, comes from a family of shy Hamms. But that didn't stop her from having a building dedicated in her name. http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Pressbox/6343/diva.html
Michael Feldman Who would have thought! Michael Feldman---shy? If you've ever heard his quick witted radio program, Whad'Ya Know? on NPR, you're probably as surprised as I was. http://www.current.org/people/peop722f.html
Michelle Pfeiffer While she describes herself as shy, that didn't stop her from starring in starring in numerous successful movies. http://www.unreel.co.uk/features/featurepfeiffer.cfm
Nancy Marchand Sent to acting school at age 10 to help her overcome her shyness, this Golden Globe winner and two time Emmy Award Nominee's career has spanned everything from soap operas and Mary Tyler Moore to the role of Livia Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999-2000). http://www.biography.com/search/article.jsp?aid=9542368&page=2&search=shyness
Neil Armstrong His shyness and tendency toward deliberation was mistaken for arrogance by some of his fellow fliers, but he is best known for being the first man to set foot on the moon. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/space/armstrong1.htm
Nicole Kidman Like so many of us, Nicole Kidman describes herself as confident in some situations and shy in others. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/showbiz/newsid_1630000/1630466.stm
Paul Potts I expect we'll be hearing a lot more from this fellow shy person, now that Paul has won the 2007 "Britain's Best Talent" competition for his moving operatic renditions judged by no less than Simon Cowell. Paul follows in the footsteps of another fellow shy singer judged by Cowell, Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become an award winning singer in her own right following her win on American Idol. http://www.calendarlive.com/music/la-ca-opera17jun17,0,1819788.story?coll=cl-music-features
Rene Russo Discovered at a Rolling Stones concert at age 16, this shy young woman went on to become a cover girl for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and to act in movies with the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mel Gibson and Kevin Kostner. http://www.aclasscelebs.com/rener/
Rene Russo Discovered at a Rolling Stones concert at age 16, this shy young woman went on to become a cover girl for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and to act in movies with the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mel Gibson and Kevin Kostner. http://www.aclasscelebs.com/rener/
Richard Gere Shy men take heart, Richard Gere is one of you, but that hasn't stopped him from establishing a successful acting career. http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/10712004.htm
Robert De Niro At the age of ten, Robert De Niro assumed his first stage role as the "cowardly" lion in The Wizard of Oz in an effort to help him overcome shyness. He now has dozens of movies to his credit. http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/D/deniro_robert/index.shtml.
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers and his horse trigger would never have warmed the heart of millions, if he'd given in to his shyness. http://www.royrogers.com/roy_rogers_bio.html
Sally Field A woman with an illustrious television and film career, Sally Field is said to describe herself as having a crippling shyness into her early adulthood. http://www.swinginchicks.com/sally_field.htm
Segourny Weaver Being extremely shy as a child didn't stop Segourny Weaver from pursuing a successful acting career. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sigourney_weaver_biog.html
Sir Alec Guinness The son of a baker, Sir Alec achieved his dream of being an actor whose talents ranged from Shakespeare to comedy and who was well known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Exclusive/0,4029,351460,00.html
Tom Cruise Heart throb of many, this illustrious actor struggled with both shyness and dyslexia as a child. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/tom_cruise_biog.html
Tom Hanks One of the greatest actors of our time, Tom's family moved frequently when he was child---making it harder for him to make friends. His involvement in theatre helped to ease his resulting shyness. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/tom_hanks_biog.html
In A Class By Themselves . . .
Albert Ellis Most of you probably don't know who his man is, but he is often credited with the development of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. What's more, the importance of his contribution to the field of psychotherapy is sometimes likened to that of Freud. Ellis's work was required reading for my very first undergraduate psychology class and I can safely say that his book, A Guide to Rational Living, was probably the single most important thing I have read in my career. Add to all that a reputation for colorful language coupled with independent thinking and then Imagine my surprise to learn that he too was once shy. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1921765 (press listen on page for NPR broadcast of radio report on Ellis).
Authors . . .
Agatha Christie While shyness and stage fright may have discouraged this accomplished pianist from pursuing a career, it didn't stop her from becoming a great mystery novelist with over one hundred novels to her credit. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/christie.htm
Elfriede Jelinek Novelist, poet, and playwright Elfriede Jelinek may have allowed her social phobia to interfere with the public acceptance of her award, but it didn't stop her from creating a body works worthy of the Noble Prize in Literature. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/jelinek.htm
George Bernard Shaw Nobel Prize winner, celebrated play write and author of Pygmalion on which the musical My Fair Lady was based, among other things George Bernard Shaw overcame his shyness to become a talented public speaker, as well. http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AWriters/GBShaw.html
Harriet Beecher Stowe When Abraham Lincoln met this shy author of Uncle Tom's Cabin he is said to have commented "So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!" http://www.momscape.com/articles/stowe.htm
Kimberly Willis Holt This award winning children's book author attributes her shyness to frequent moves associated with her father's military career. http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/auth-illKimberlyWillisHolt.htm
Nathaniel Hawthorne For me, Nathanial Hawthorne brings back memories of middle school (called junior high in my day), when raising my hand to comment on The Scarlet Letter in English class was too terrifying to even consider. It sure would have helped to know the book's author was shyer than me when he wrote it. http://www.tantor.com/AuthorDetail.asp?Author=Hawthorne_N
Raymond Carver This shy author initially turned to writing poetry and short stories because he lacked the time it took to create longer works. http://titan.iwu.edu/~jplath/carver.html
Robert Frost This famous poet's public performances are credited with helping him overcome his shyness. http://www.phschool.com/language_arts/national_poetry_month/poet_bios_frost.html
Business People . . .
Craig McCaw Telecommunications billionaire and wireless pioneer, Craig McCaw recognized that shortcomings (shyness and dyslexia) could also be assets. ""Maybe my whole attitude toward life comes from being forced, as a relatively shy person, to confront people and ask them to do something, and try to explain why it might be in their interest ." http://www.thealarmclock.com/magazine/magContent/mccaw.htm
Katherine Graham Not only did Katherine Graham describe herself as shy and insecure when she took over responsibility for running the Washington Post after her husband's death, but Katherine Graham went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for telling her story in her memoir entitled Personal History. http://www.post-gazette.com/obituaries/20010718kay0718p2.asp
Leroy Grumman Established in 1930 in Baldwin, Long Island, New York by painfully shy co-founder Leroy Grumman, Gruman Aircraft Engineering Corporation became a major supplier of warplanes during World War II, as well as the largest single employer on Long Island. The company was later purchased by Northrup Aircraft in 1994 and merged with Northrop to become Northrop-Grumman. http://www.grummanpark.org/runway1.htm
Just Plain Folks . . .
Caroline Knapp Like many shy people, Caroline didn't understand how her shyness was being interpreted by others until she overheard neighbors talking about her at a potluck dinner behind her house. http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1999/03/05feature.html
Trina Kinstler Trina did as many people do, she turned to sports to help her get out of her shell and has risen to the top, winning national awards in Taekwondo.http://www.wtf.org/site/news/people.htm?realnum=8&page=3&keyword=&part=&mode=view
Gordon Irlam Not only did Gordon choose to deal with his shyness ( (http://www.gordoni.com/shy/gordoni-2001.html) but he has helped many others do the same through one of the better resource pages on shyness: http://www.gordoni.com/shy/.
A College Student's Guide to Overcome Shyness Written by Jonathan---"a 24 year old college student who has seen first hand what severe shyness can do to someone"---this site documents Jonathan's journey to overcome his shyness and provides tips on how you can do the same. http://www.angelfire.com/super2/overcomingshyness/index.html
Shy and Free Shy people talk about how they feel on this award winning site. http://www.shyandfree.com/html/stories.html
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While I have done my best to verify the biographical information presented here, celebrities are often misquoted and misrepresented. Please report inaccuracies and supporting documentation of your concerns to socialskills@reneegilbert.com, as well as names and references to documentation of additional shy celebrities you would like to see included on this page. Thank you.