While we know that Hollywood is all about beauty, perfection, and glamor, there’s no doubt that there are celebrities who never had these qualities and did exceedingly well. Some have to deal with Amblyopia.
Amblyopia, widely known as lazy eye, is when one eye has poorer vision than the other eye. It can be hereditary or occur when there’s a nervous breakdown between the brain and the eye.
It’s a rare condition that affects 2-3% of the world’s population and is more pronounced in European countries.
Many notable figures in Hollywood have lazy eyes, but that doesn’t deter them from shining in their stellar careers.
But do you know any actor with a lazy eye? Well, here are 8 famous black actors who have a lazy eye.
1. Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker is an American A-list actor who has won many accolades. However, his lazy eye is the most famous in American Hollywood. He suffers from a condition known as ptosis that makes his upper eyelid drop.
The actor doesn’t worry about his eye as it’s a hereditary condition passed down to him by his father. Though he loses sight when he looks up, it doesn’t bother or hinder him from achieving outstanding results.
2. Denzel Washington
Denzel, the two-time Academy Award winner who features on the list of the most famous black people in Hollywood, has a lazy eye. His mild lazy eye comes secondary to his worries and does not deter him from achieving his goals.
His commitment, passion, and zeal have always made him the man behind the characters. He brings forth the idea that when you’re determined to reach your goals, minor physical defects fade away and get overshadowed by determination and sheer talent.
3. Shemar Moore
Shemar Moore is an American actor and the 8 NAACP Image Awards 2016 winner. He sees nothing wrong with his lazy eye. When things got weary, Moore had to undergo Lasik surgery to correct his eyesight as it had started slipping over due to his lazy eye.
Though his right eye was adjusted to at least see far, his left eye was adjusted to see close. Despite the surgery, his lazy eye is still recognizable, but at least he has better vision now.
4. Tyson Beckford
Tyson is an American model and actor with a Chinese Jamaican ancestry. Tyson stands tall, showing that his imperfection has made him perfect, and is determined to achieve big.
In this video, he explains how kids teased him, calling him Mr. Chin due to his Chinese eyes. These kids didn’t know that he had a lazy eye that had become overshadowed by his vast achievements.
5. Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna Elba is an actor, singer, and rapper featured in Time 100, the list of the most influential people in the world in 2016.
He is a Golden Globe Award winner with the lazy eye that he was born with, and this has never prevented him from achieving great success in his professional acting career.
He was also named the people’s sexiest man alive in 2018, showing how much people loved him despite his physical imperfections.
6. Michael B Jordan
Michael Bakari Jordan is an American producer and actor. The Time magazine ranked him among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020, and his looks add to his success.
The magnitude of his imperfection is nowhere near his achievements, and he is living a fulfilling career.
Though he has a lazy eye, we love him that way and look forward to his subsequent success in his acting career.
7. Gary Dourdan
Gary Dourdan is an American actor known for his roles in the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Gary has a mild lazy eye inherited from his parents and is here to stay with him forever. He overlooks the physical difference in his eye and aims to make it big.
8. Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood, the two-time Golden Globe Award winner, is an American actor who debuted in acting in 1985. You can’t go without noticing that Blair has a mildly lazy eye.
But that doesn’t define how far he can go in acting. It’s just a physical flaw we recognize. To him, it’s no big deal.
9. Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz, a four-time Grammy winner for Best Rock Vocal Performance, has cemented his place as a rock music legend. His signature sunglasses, worn everywhere, have become as iconic as his music.
While Kravitz has never confirmed it, fans speculate he may have amblyopia, or lazy eye, which they say becomes evident when he’s seen without shades.
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Above are eight famous actors who never allowed their physical flaws to hinder them from reaching greatness. Instead, they used their imperfections to their advantage, leaving an indelible mark on their careers.
