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Famous People Who Admit to Nervousness and Stage Fright

Famous People Who Admit to Nervousness and Stage Fright

Show me a person who says, “I never feel nervous when I go to present,” and “I’ll show you an “automatic presenter.”

Some of the world’s most famous presenters freely admit to nervousness and stage fright—

Benedict Cumberbatch - He is so adorable, and his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes a marvel. And I loved him in The Imitation Game. He does, like Hugh Grant, often play bumbling and or odd characters so he can channel his nervousness into the part.


Adele - That booming voice, and she still gets scared.


Bob Dylan - That incredible creative man has stage fright. I get he has a bad voice, but he is a poet/lyricist of great magnificence.


Jason Alexander - He acts nervous all the time, how can he tell? By the way did you see him in the TV version of Bye Bye Birdie? Lots of fun.


Maya Angelou - She writes magnificently and has that amazing voice, but she also has stage fright.


Hugh Grant - There is a great interview on YouTube where he talks about it. Look up Graham Norton Show Hugh Grant Stage Fright. He talks about he even gets it working on animated films!


Annie Lenox - She says she gets over it by enjoying the moment. 


Brian Wilson - (The Beach Boys) Receives shoulder and neck rubs and prays before his concerts.


Sir Lawrence Olivier - Yes, one of the greatest actors of all time had stage fright.


Barbara Streisand - (singer and actress) I have seen her perform live. She had not done a live performance in years. She is wonderful, and you can see that she is a bit shy but she uses humor to overcome her fear.


Nicole Kidman (actress) - I was surprised. In her roles she always comes across as a bit plastic. I don’t see the vulnerability other people seem to see.


Michael Douglas - (actor) Yes, surprising.


Alfred Hitchcock - (director) I took a film class on him and read several biographies. As a child his mother was ill, and made him come home from school every day and stand at the end of her bed and report on his day. That would strike fear into anyone’s heart.


Winston Churchill - He dealt with it by drinking!


John Cougar Mellancamp (musician, actor)

William Shatner - He just keeps taking risks, and darn I admire that. If you can find the TV show where he and his wife remodel their home, you will be charmed with his boundless enthusiasm. I think that helps him as well. 

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.