From Shydom to Stardom
There really are perks of being a wallflower! Check out the shy stars who've found fame
Rex FeaturesLady Gaga
Lady Gaga might court attention with her meat dresses and crazy hairstyles, but the singer revealed that it’s not what it looks like. "I might not be shy with people that I know but with people that I don't know I am very shy... I always feel shy in the Hollywood scene. I feel a bit like I did in high school, like I don't really fit in."
Getty ImagesNicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman is a Hollywood veteran but don’t think confident comes naturally to her. The actress revealed: “It was very natural for me to want to disappear into a dark theater, I am really very shy. That is something that people never seem to fully grasp because, when you are an actor, you are meant to be an exhibitionist.”
REXKeira Knightley
Wish you could mingle with the rich and famous? Keira Knightley revealed it’s not as easy as you think. “I am crap at parties. I tend to sit in the corner. I'll sit in the corner and find one person to talk to or I'll go on the dance floor and get quite drunk. But I am not good at that whole thing.” When Keira was nominated for an Oscar, she found all the attention disconcerting. “We all stood in a corner, saying ‘Oh, this is weird!'” she said of attending the Academy Award parties with her parents and brother.
XPosurephotos.comRobert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson’s awkward side was one of the reasons Catherine Hardwicke chose him to play Edward Cullen in Twilight, but his shyness wasn’t always the key to his success. “I was shy, withdrawn and I didn’t have any self-esteem," he said. "The year that I was 17 was one of the worst of my life, because I was searching for my place in the world. I was obsessed with a girl for years but I never talked to her because I was extremely shy.” We think she’d probably give him the time of day now.
PA PhotosBlake Lively
Blake Lively couldn’t be more different from her confident Gossip Girl character Serena Van der Woodsen. "I'm actually a very shy person—that's a big secret, so don't tell," she said. "But being in [acting] classes pushed me to break out of that a little bit. It's like nature versus nurture: I'm naturally very shy, but I was brought up in a way where I had to get up and get out of that."
Rex FeaturesKim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian doesn’t mind having her daily life filmed for millions but she still suffers from social anxiety. "I’m the girl who’s too shy to dance in a nightclub,” she recently revealed in an interview.
PA PhotosJessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson battled her lack of confidence because she desperately wanted to sing. "I am a very shy person, but I do believe that God has blessed me with a gift that I need to share."
Rex FeaturesEvan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood seems comfortable enough appearing opposite the likes of George Clooney and Kate Winslet but the actress has struggled with confidence issues. She doesn’t enjoy the mingling that comes with showbusiness and was once so shy that she couldn’t even pick up the phone and order a pizza.
WennVanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens was a child star before even before she was cast in hit TV show, High School Musical but her confidence on stage wasn’t matched off it. The actress has revealed that, as a child she felt anxious and nervous before attending social events.
Rex FeaturesKristin Davis
Kristin Davis’ shyness has some very negative consequences. The Sex And The City star, who is now teetotal, has talked publicly about how she used alcohol to cope with her shyness because it freed her to come out of her shell.
PA PhotosKevin Costner
Kevin Costner actually has his shyness to thank for his acting success. His mum enrolled him in a choir as a way to improve his confidence as a child.
PA PhotosJim Carrey
Jim Carrey’s wacky, comedy roles all suggest he’s comfortable in his own skin but the star has talked in the past about how painfully shy he was growing up, and how he used his comedic skills to win friends and cope with his insecurities.
Rex FeaturesJustin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake seems to have the celebrity thing nailed but it wasn’t always so. "I was very shy as a kid. But when I found out I could perform and have people's attention, everything changed. My mom likes to joke that until I was eight or nine I only knew what my sneakers looked like because I constantly walked around with my head down."
Rex FeaturesClaudia Schiffer
Claudia Schiffer is a natural in front of the camera but don’t think that was always the case. Growing up as a teenager in a small German town, the model hated the attention she got because of her height. She described herself as "a bit of a loner, as I was still quite shy". The star added that her career had helped her get over her social anxiety. "Modelling has been a great type of therapy for me. Working with so many different personalities - good and bad - has forced me to come out of my shell. Obviously all the travelling has taught me to become very independent and I've also learnt to live each day like it's my last."
Splash NewsKristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart says she only comes across as distant in interviews because of her social insecurity. “In real life, I’m very shy. I feel uncomfortable during interviews because I need to talk about myself. But to talk about yourself, you have to know who you are.”
Rex FeaturesBritney Spears
Don’t think Britney Spears’ Mouseketeer credentials mean she’s an extrovert. "It's weird because I think people think because of what I do I'm like, 'Da-na', but at heart I'm very shy... When I'm in front of the camera I know what to do, but I get in a room, stuck with four guys, I'm like the shyest girl in there,” she revealed.
WennJohnny Depp
You’d have thought with his good looks and fantastic career that Johnny Depp had plenty to feel confident about – but that’s not the case. “I'm shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I've done everything I can to avoid it,” he said.
PA PhotosSteven Spielberg
You can’t really get any bigger in Hollywood than Steven Spielberg but even visionaries like him have experience insecurities. “I never felt comfortable with myself, because I was never part of the majority. I always felt awkward and shy and on the outside of the momentum of my friends' lives,” said the director.
PA PhotosAmanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried might seem completely at ease with herself but that’s not always been the case. “My teenage years were weird. I was shy and stayed out of the drama at school. I was always standing in front of the mirror, though, pretending to be Claire Danes.”
Getty ImagesAdele
Adele’s one of the biggest-selling artists in the world but her shyness can having crippling effects, especially when she’s performing. "I'm scared of audiences," she confessed. "One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don't like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot."
Rex FeaturesJessica Alba
It’s not easy being drop-dead gorgeous and having the world’s eyes on you all the time, especially if you’re Jessica Alba. “I don’t like being the centre of attention,” she revealed.
PA PhotosRichard Gere
Richard Gere wasn’t just shy as a child, he barely spoke. "(My mom and dad) tell stories where I just would not speak. I think at times they thought that I didn't know how to... But I think that's probably one of the reasons I became an actor; it gave me a vehicle to start expressing things."
PA PhotosMichelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer revealed that she used to be phobic about small talk. "I was the kind of person who entered a room, found the nearest corner and hoped no one noticed me before it was time to go home. Now I'm better at socialising."
Rex FeaturesTom Cruise
Tom Cruise struggled with shyness and dyslexia as a child – but he’s not looked back since!
REXBrad Pitt
Brad Pitt plays energetic characters on-screen in order to mask his own shyness and divert attention away from his own “real” self.
Rex FeaturesCourteney Cox
Courteney Cox was shy growing up and signed up for an extra education and work session that allowed her to take regular classes until noon, skip PE and then work at a pool supply store from then on. Thank goodness it didn’t stop her performing – otherwise we’d never have had Monica Gellar.
