In a world designed for right-handers, people who are left-handed may sometimes feel like a “X-men” mutant. Although there are only about 10 per cent of the world’s population who identify with the struggles of being a “lefty”, there are some awesome people who have overcome the odds and become successful figures. Just so you know, four of the U.S.’s last five Presidents are left-handed: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan.
Every year on 13 August, International Left-Handers Day is observed to raise awareness of the inconveniences faced by left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world. On this day, knowledge is shared on how lefties adapt to use right handed tools and objects, and how special needs of left-handed children are met.
This year marks the 28th annual International Left-Handers Day. Here are five celebrities who use their left hands to sign autographs!
1. Die Hard with a Left Hand
Born on 19 March 1955, in the town of Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, Bruce Willis is known for playing the undefeatable John McClane in Die Hard (1988) and its four sequels. The 62-year-old actor went on to appear in other notable movies, including Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997).
Despite ‘winning’ 1998’s Golden Raspberry Award (Worst Actor) for Armageddon, Mercury Rising and The Siege, Willis has also delivered some critically-acclaimed performances. Whether it’s the angst-ridden prisoner of the state in 12 Monkeys (1995), the lonely police officer in Moonrise Kingdom (2012), or the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (2012), Willis is a movie icon that Hollywood deserves.
2. That Amazing Voice Belongs to a Lefty
Did you know that Morgan Freeman was seriously injured in a car crash when the vehicle he was driving flipped on a Mississippi highway? The accident left the 80-year-old actor with a paralyzed left hand, where he often wears a compression glove. Things did not turn glum for the multiple award-winning celebrity, as he is often seen with big smiles at movie premieres and publicity events.
Helmed as one of Freeman’s best performances, Se7en (1995) sees him playing a seasoned homicide detective opposite Brad Pitt. Freeman also plays research genius Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and is one of the five actors who appear in all three films. You can’t talk about Freeman without mentioning his iconic voice which is universally recognised as one of the greatest of all times. Check out The Lego Movie (2014), where he lends his “rich molasses” to the character of Vitruvius, a blind old wizard.
3. Meet the Left
If there is one movie you’ll adore starring two lefties, it is Last Vegas (2013). Freeman appears alongside Robert De Niro, another lefty, playing seniors who take a break from their mundane lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas. As you can imagine, the result is hilarious (what’s more, they are joined by two other great actors Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline).
The 73-year-old actor will forever be known in film history as the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974), a role which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for. A few years later, he would take home the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Raging Bull (1980). The esteemed actor would then go on to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2010 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016. He has also taken on comedic roles, playing an uptight father-in-law in Meet the Parents (2000) and its two sequels, as well as a vulgar grandfather in Dirty Grandpa (2016).
4. This Focker is a Lefty
The object of De Niro’s terrorising in the Meet the Parents trilogy is 51-year-old Ben Stiller. Ridiculously named Gaylord “Greg” Focker, his character is a fan favourite. With Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010), this franchise was both a box office and critical success.
Stiller, who directed and starred in the satirical action comedy Tropic Thunder (2008), is a member of the “Frat Pack”. This group of comedy actors who have appeared together in many high-grossing comedy movies include Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Steve Carell. The versatile Stiller has also shown his acting chops in dramas like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) and While We're Young (2014).
5. I’m Pretty, and I’m a Lefty
Hollywood welcomes Julia Roberts after she starred in Pretty Woman (1990), where she played a hooker who found real love in Richard Gere’s rich businessman. Her acting was recognised when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Erin Brockovich (2000). The 49-year-old actress is one of the highest-paid celebrities, and she has the honour of being named “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” by People magazine for a record of five times.
Roberts has also lent her voice to family-friendly movies like Charlotte's Web (2006) and Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017). She also made news when she headlined Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) and Larry Crowne (2011) with everyone’s favourite Tom Hanks. The actress surprised critics when she played a tart-tongued woman in August: Osage County a role which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
