What Celebrities Have Experienced Facial Paralysis?
Celebrities that have been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, the most common form of facial paralysis, include:
Angelina Jolie
The actress was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 2016 and opened up about her battle with facial paralysis. She has since fully recovered with the help of acupuncture. Jolie has made headlines in the past for decision to undergo a double mastectomy with breast reconstruction as well as removal of her ovaries after testing positive for the breast cancer gene.
George Clooney
The actor was stricken with the disease as a 14-year-old. He joked that beginning your freshman year of high school was “a bad time for having half your face paralyzed.” He recovered after 9 months.
Pierce Brosnan
The former James Bond hero had the disease in the 1980s, which affected the right side of his face. He was treated with prednisone, a steroid, and recovered after several weeks. As he was filming during that time, he had his film shot from the left side to cloak the disease.
Sylvester Stallone
The, actor famous for his roles as “Rocky Balboa” and “John Rambo”, was actually born with facial paralysis resulting from birth complications. The residual effects of Bell’s palsy are responsible for his crooked smile and slurred speech pattern.
Katie Holmes
The former Mrs. Tom Cruise and actress from Dawson’s Creek was also a victim of facial paralysis. It is thought the residual effects of Bell’s palsy are responsible for her classic facial smirk.