Orlando Bloom's dyslexia battle
(Agencies)
2010-06-06 10:00
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Orlando Bloom has spoken about his "ongoing struggle" with dyslexia.
The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star often finds it difficult to remember his scripts because of the condition - which causes sufferers to struggle with reading and spelling - and feels he has to work harder than other people.
He said: "It's still an ongoing struggle. I have more trouble studying scripts and memorising lines than most other actors."
The British star - who is dating model Miranda Kerr - revealed his mother gave him the motivation to try and overcome his condition by promising him a motorbike once he had read 50 books.
Speaking at an open lecture at New York's Rockefeller University, he added: "My mom used to tell me, 'If you read 50 books, I'll get you a motorbike.' So it inspired me to read a lot and work through my dyslexia. But I never quite got to 50. And I never got that motorbike!"
Orlando is not the only celebrity to have spoken about suffering from dyslexia.
Tom Cruise has previously admitted the condition made it difficult for him to gain his pilot license because he struggled with the theory aspects.
The actor - who eventually passed his flying tests in 1994 - said: "In 1986, when I was 22, when I was making 'Top Gun', I got the chance to make my dream come true - to become a pilot. I thought, 'This is the time to do it,' so I had a couple of lessons. But then I just blew it off. When people asked what happened, I told them I was too busy preparing for the film, just didn't have time. The truth is, I couldn't learn how to do it."