Familiar Names and Faces with Tourette's Syndrome

There are many people who have TS and have still gone on to be very successful in life. Several of these individuals are even famous. Here is a list of some of the famous names who can relate to our Mr. B. ;-)

Howard Hughes (1905 – 1976) Howard Hughes’ symptoms were well-known. That didn’t stop him, however, from being brilliantly successful in both Hollywood as a film director and producer and in aviation, where he owned a number of airlines, and at one point held a number of air speed records as an aviator.

Howie Mandel (1955 – ) Voted one of the 100 best stand-up comedians of all time, Howie Mandel first became known for his role in the tv series, “St. Elsewhere,” and later for “Bobby’s World.”  Dan Ackroyd (1952 – ) It’s hard to know what accomplishment to mention first with Dan Ackroyd — his performance in The Blues Brothers, his role in Ghost Busters, his comedy in Saturday Night Live, or House of Blues, where people can hear great blues music. This talented actor, musician, screenwriter, and comedian grew up struggling with symptoms of Tourette’s and Asperger’s Syndrome. You can hear Dan talking about how these conditions affected him in an interview he gave on NPR. David Beckham (1975 – ) This talented soccer player (“footballer”) from the UK has publicly admitted that he struggles with TS and OCD:  “”I’ve got this obsessive compulsive disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs. I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere. I’ll go into a hotel room and before I can relax, I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer. Everything has to be perfect.” (Source – The Independent Online, April 2, 2006). James Durbin (1990 – ) James Durbin has been one of the breakout singers in the 2011 American Idol season. He talked openly about his Tourette’s Syndrome and Asperger’s Disorder during his try-out and how his tics disappear when he is totally focused on his singing. Marc Summers (1951 – ) A popular tv host and entertainer, he had struggled since childhood from obsessions and compulsions, but didn’t know what he had until Dr. Eric Hollander came on his show as a guest. As Marc listened to him talk about OCD, he realized what he had. His book, Everything in its place, tells his amazing story. Jim Eisenreich (1959 – ) Jim is a retired major league baseball player who played with the 1993 National League Pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies and the 1997 World Series champions, the Florida Marlins. Although Jim had had Tourette’s since childhood, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was a baseball player. Jim donates much of his time to educating the public about Tourette’s and serves as a role model for many children. Tim Howard (1979 – ) Tim is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team. This talented athlete also played in the 2000 Olympics. Tim’s tics and compulsions were evident in elementary school, and school was rough for him because his classmates teased him and his teachers viewed him as a discipline problem. Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) Dr. Johnson was a famous British poet, essayist, and lexicographer. He wrote the Dictionary of the English Language and The Lives of the Poets. Dr. Johnson’s unusual movements (most likely tics) and compulsive behaviors were observed by many of his peers at the time and described in such rich detail that there is little doubt that he had Tourette’s Syndrome with obsessive-compulsive features or even full-blown OCD. Dr. Johnson was also reported to suffer from depression throughout his life. It is also believed that Mozart had Tourette's Syndrom. You can read this article to learn more. Here is a much longer and descriptive article on Mozart's TS if you's like more detail.  And here is a link to a video showing the NBA star. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, also known as "Tic". It shows his tics, but also shows his mad skills. This man did not let Tourette's hold him down! Home The Blog About Stephen In the News About The Film Famous Tourettes Stephen’s Music Tourette Cam the YOU cam Contact   Famous Tourettes Click and Purchase Music! 50% of proceeds are donated to National Tourettes Syndrome Research! Throughout history there have been some famous people who have lived and succeeded with Tourette’s Syndrome. Below are some you might know. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette’s Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS. - See more at: http://www.synapticadventure.com/famous-touretters/#sthash.WgTdP61Z.dpuf Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - (1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS. - See more at: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/tourettes-famous.shtml#sthash.4E37f3DO.dpuf Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - (1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS. - See more at: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/tourettes-famous.shtml#sthash.4E37f3DO.dpuf CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette’s Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS. - See more at: http://www.synapticadventure.com/famous-touretters/#sthash.WgTdP61Z.dpuf Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - (1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS. - See more at: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/tourettes-famous.shtml#sthash.4E37f3DO.dpuf  Sources: http://www.schoolbehavior.com/disorders/tourettes-syndrome/famous-people-with-tourettes-syndrome-or-obsessive-compulsive-disorder/ http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/tourettes-famous.shtml