These celebrities overcame their shyness, many with the help of teachers, to shine in the public eye.

Ann-Margret   Winner of five Golden Globe Awards and veteran of forty-two films that span more than thirty years, Ann-Margret was also shy as a child, but that didn't top her from starring in movies with folks like Elvis Presley http://ann-margret-from-sweden.com/various/magazines/63sep.html

Barbara Streisand   Her shyness, born in part from painful childhood experiences and a distinct look that challenged her ability to fit in, Barbara's remarkable drive, ingenuity, and commitment to pursue her dreams paid off not only for her, but for the generations of people she's moved through her movies and music over the years. But it doesn't stop there. The "confidence" with which Barbara has presented herself to the world (and I put "confidence" in quotes as this otherwise strong woman has struggled with stage freight for years) has opened the minds of many to new ways of thinking about beauty. In her own way, this truly beautiful woman has been a role model for us all. http://www.biography.com/print/profile/barbra-streisand-9497402l

Barbara Walters   She may have been shy, but at this point Barbara Walters has so many credits to her name that few interviewers--shy or outgoing--can come close to matching her accomplishments.http://www.notablebiographies.com/Tu-We/Walters-Barbara.html

Bob Dylan  Born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941, this shy youth went on to become one of the greatest folk singers and composers of his time. http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=3723&...

Brad Pitt   Known for his portrayal of exciting energetic characters on the screen, Brad Pitt is said to be shy and protective in his personal life.  http://www.femail.com.au/ma_bradpitt.htm  

Carol Burnett  Don't ask me why" said Carol Burnett, about her performance in a play required to fulfill acting prerequisites for entrance to a playwriting program at UCLA. For whatever reasons, Carol decided to extend the length of the words she was saying delivering the first line of her performance as "I'm baaaaaaaack!." The laughter that followed was enough to change everything for this shy young woman who said, "You spend the rest of your life hoping you'll hear a laugh that great again." And so she did . . . on television, on stage, and in the movies.   http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/645801--one-laugh-chan...

Carrie Underwood  She "isn't shy about her shyness." That's what they're saying about Carrie Underwood, the fourth winner of the American Idol television series. Her first album debuted in the number one position on Billboard's chart. Not bad for this shy, but talented, young Oklahoma woman! http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Underwood,_Carrie/Biography/

Cathy Rigby  Cathy Rigby turned to gymnastics as a way to help her overcome severe shyness.  Eight gold medals later, she found herself working as a sports commentator for ABC and starring in Peter Pan on Broadway.  Not bad for a shy girl!  http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/news/2004-10-02-rigby_x.htm#

Cher Bono   Shy and introverted earlier in her career, Cher found her style with the help of then husband, Sonny Bono, and blossomed into a star in her own right.  http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/leisure/entertainment/film/feature... 

Courteney Cox Arquette   Shy as a young girl and frequently picked on, Courteney Cox Arquette felt like an outsider growing up, but that didn't stop her from joining us in living rooms around the country in her role as Monica Geller on Friends.  http://www.courteneycox.8m.com/about.html

David Bowie   Even rock stars can be shy.  Check out David Bowie. http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/articles/87/no1m.html 

David Letterman  Like many of his fellow shy talk show hosts, David Letterman doesn't let his self-proclaimed "painful shyness" get in the way of interviewing his guests or entertaining his audiences. http://www.bing.com/celebrities/bio/search?q=David+Letterman&id...

Dennis Rodman  This once "frail and shy" bad boy of basketball who as a child bore the "brunt of beatings by his bigger, more aggressive school mates," grew up to be a colorful, strong willed, award winning, Hall of Fame NBA basketball star who sometimes rubbed people the wrong way, but other times seemed only to have a " heart of gold." See for yourself. http://dennisrodman.com/bio

Diane Schuur   Jazz fans will know this name.  Blinded as a child when too much oxygen in her incubator damaged her optic nerve, this once shy talent didn't let a little thing like that stop her and has gone on to be one of our great female jazz vocalists.  http://www.corporateartists.com/dianeschuur.html

Don Rickles  Don Rickles imitated his father's style of kidding people about themselves and found that, like his father, he could make friends by making people laugh.  http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html

Donny Osmond   In the public eye from the time he was small, the pressure of performing and being constantly judged eventually caught up with Donny in the form of Social Phobia. With the help of therapy Donny learned to "play with his fear instead of running from it."  http://socialanxietydisorder.about.com/od/celebritieswithsad/p/donn...

Ella Fitzgerald   Shy offstage, this Jazz legend was surprised to find that onstage she had no fear.  http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/index.php?option=com_content&task...

Elvis Presley   Music was a form a self-expression for this talented shy young man who lost his footing to fame.  http://thereseahughes.hubpages.com/hub/elvis-presley-biography   

Garrison Keillor   This multifaceted multitalented man brought us Lake Wobegon, made "A Prairie Home Companion" a household term and taught us to laugh at the shyness that he and so many of us have shared.  http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/keillor_garrison/bio.jhtml

Gene Hackman   Gene Hackman's film credits include the likes of Bonny And Clyde, The French Connection, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning and Enemy of the State in spite of a childhood shyness that has carried forward somewhat into adulthood.  http://www.cine101.com/?p=10750

George Harrison   Often referred to as the "Quiet Beatle," this shy superstar helped shape the face of modern music.  http://ladyjane1.hubpages.com/hub/All-Those-Years-Ago-Remembering-George-Harrison

Gloria Estefan   It helps to have a mentor. Husband and group leader, Emilio Estefan, is said to have helped a relatively shy Gloria come out of her shell to become the dynamic entertainer she is today. http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/performers/estefan.html

Harrison Ford   Sexy and shy in one package? Sure, check out Oscar nominee Harrison Ford, who didn't let shyness get in the way of his pursuit of a successful acting career.http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/F/ford_harrison/index.shtml

Henry Fonda   It's hard to believe this talented actor from Nebraska was painfully shy. http://www.answers.com/topic/henry-fonda

Ingrid Bergman   This talented actress and only child was afraid of her classmates in school. Sound familiar? But what a talent! http://www.talentdevelop.com/introversion2.html

James Earl Jones   It's hard to imagine James Earl Jones, the voice behind Star War's Darth Vader; Walt Disney's Mufasa, King of the Jungle from the Lion King; or my personal favorite, Terence Mann fromField of Dreams, as having ever been shy. But makes this man's illustrious stage and film career even more remarkable is the story behind his recovery from the struttering that developed around the age of 10 after witnessing his his brother's epileptic seizure and running for help. This is one you need to read for yourself. http://bestessay.info/literature-essays/james-earl-jones-a-voice-in...

Jim Carrey   Yes, Jim Carrey---he too was a shy quiet child who and didn't have many friends until he showed his comedic talents.  http://www.geocities.com/jimcarreyfanjt/bio.html

Jimmy Stewart   You can pretty much count on seeing this man when the holiday season roles around and It's A Wonderful Life makes it's way to the screen. If you're too young to remember Jimmy Stewart, let it simply be said that he didn't let his shyness prevent him from becoming one of the greatest actors during the heydays of Hollywood filming making. Filmed in black and white, his movies are nonetheless timeless and moving to this day.  http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/jimmy-stewart.html

Joan Rivers   Probably best know for her work as a guest host pinch-hitting for fellow shy person Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, Joan was said to have used jokes to cover up her shyness when she was younger.  http://www.joanrivers.com/AllAboutJoan/default.asp

Johnny Carson   Many a television watcher shared the dawn of a new day with this fellow shy late night talk show host who seemed anything but shy on the screen. http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2001/02/20/carson/

Julia Roberts   Born in Smyrna, Georgia, this once shy young woman has become one of the most popular actresses in America.  http://www.channel4000.com/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/ent...

Kevin Costner   Awarding winning actor in his adult life, Kevin's mother encouraged him to join the choir as a way to help him overcome shyness caused by frequent moves as a child. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Kevin+Costner%3A+a+modest+superstar.-...

Lady Gaga   Yes, even Lady Gaga, has a shy side to her. Like many of us, she may not as shy with people that she knows, "but with people that I don't know, I am very shy." Sound familiar? Remember, shyness doesn't have to stop you from pursuing your passions. It didn't stop Lady Gaga from becoming a superstar. Shyness may slow us down, but it doesn't have to stop us.   http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/02/10/lady_gaga_i_m_ac...

Louise Siversen    Some of you baby-boomers may remember Louise from the television show The Prisoners or, perhaps, you saw her in one of her films. In any case, Louise is one of the many people who didn't let her shyness keep her from a career in show business. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0803380/biol

Lucille Ball   Perceived as shy by teachers at the John Murray Anderson dramatic school and discouraged from pursuing a career in show business, Lucille Ball did not give up. The rest is history.http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/3178

Mary Chapin Carpenter   I was surprised to learn that his dynamo on stage is one of us shy people. But as Mary says, "when you're in that place where you're really into what you're doing-whether onstage, or by yourself at your desk, or wherever-there is a great sense of fulfillment. It's one of the few times that you know who you are."  http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-02-07/features/9502070097_1...

Michael Feldman   Who would have thought! Michael Feldman---shy? If you've ever heard his quick witted radio program, Whad'Ya Know? on NPR, you're probably as surprised as I was. http://www.current.org/people/peop722f.html

Michelle Pfeiffer   This "Cat Woman" with three Oscar nominations to her name, used to be "paralyzed" when she had to make small talk.  http://www.biography.com/people/michelle-pfeiffer-9439133

Nancy Marchand   Sent to acting school at age 10 to help her overcome her shyness, this Golden Globe winner and two time Emmy Award Nominee's career has spanned everything from soap operas and Mary Tyler Moore to the role of Livia Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999-2000). http://www.biography.com/people/nancy-marchand-9542368

Neil Armstrong   His shyness and tendency toward deliberation was mistaken for arrogance by some of his fellow fliers, but he is best known for being the first man to set foot on the moon. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/space/armstr...

Nicole Kidman   Like so many of us, Nicole Kidman describes herself as confident in some situations and shy in others.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/showbiz/newsid_16300... 

Paul Potts     I expect we'll be hearing a lot more from this fellow shy person, now that Paul has won the 2007 "Britain's Best Talent" competition for his moving operatic renditions judged by no less than Simon Cowell. Paul follows in the footsteps of another fellow shy singer judged by Cowell, Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become an award winning singer in her own right following her win on American Idol.http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/FallConcert/story?id=4036131&am...

Regis Philbin   Who would have thought this seasoned talk show host, who ruled the air ways for 28 years, co-anchored Live! With Regis and Kelly, and mastered the art of "TV gab," could ever have been so shy as to think he would never able to do what "he saw other people doing on camera or heard on the radio?" Now retired, I miss watching the style and grace with which Regis put his guests as ease--a style that from time to time I used to encouraged my students to watch for tips on body language and ways to overcome their own fears of shyness and social awkwardness. Little did I know when I first gave those assignments, that Regis was once one of us too. I just thought he was good at what he did--and so he is. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/nov/04/regis-philbin-moving-not...

Rene Russo   Discovered at a Rolling Stones concert at age 16, this shy young woman went on to become a cover girl for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and to act in movies with the likes of Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mel Gibson and Kevin Kostner.  http://www.aclasscelebs.com/rener/

Richard Gere   Shy men take heart, Richard Gere is one of you, but that hasn't stopped him from establishing a successful acting career.   http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/10712004.htm

Robert De Niro   At the age of ten, Robert De Niro assumed his first stage role as the "cowardly" lion in The Wizard of Oz in an effort to help him overcome shyness. He now has dozens of movies to his credit.  http://www.thespiannet.com/actors/D/deniro_robert/index.shtml.

Roy Rogers   Roy Rogers and his horse trigger would never have warmed the heart of millions, if he'd given in to his shyness. http://www.royrogers.com/roy_rogers_bio.html

Sally Field   A woman with an illustrious television and film career, Sally Field is said to describe herself as having a crippling shyness into her early adulthood.  http://reocities.com/Paris/theatre/8630/sallyfield.html

Segourny Weaver   Being extremely shy as a child didn't stop Segourny Weaver from pursuing a successful acting career. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/sigourney_w...

Sir Alec Guinness   The son of a baker, Sir Alec achieved his dream of being an actor whose talents ranged from Shakespeare to comedy and who was well known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.  http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Exclusive/0,4029,351460,00.html

Tina Fey   Whether she's impersonating political candidates on Saturday Night Live where she became the first female head writer or creating, producing,and winning an Emmy for her performance on 30 Rock, or starring in and producing movies, it's hard to keep up with this once shy woman. http://www.rd.com/family/tina-fey-interview/

Tom Cruise   Heart throb of many, this illustrious actor struggled with both shyness and dyslexia as a child.  http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/tom_cruise_...

Tom Hanks   One of the greatest actors of our time, Tom's family moved frequently when he was child---making it harder for him to make friends. His involvement in theatre helped to ease his resulting shyness. http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/tom_hanks_b...

Yul Kwon   Survivor winner on the 2006 series ... okay, so I don't really follow the show, but Yul Kwon's story is so compelling that I couldn't help digging a little deeper. Born in New York to Korean immigrant parents, Yul had a severe lisp which people took to mean that he didn't speak English very well. The victim of child hood bullying and Asian stereotyping, this socially anxious "Yale University-trained lawyer put his career on hold to compete the [2006 season] of the CBS show Survivor" in part, to provide the kind of positive Asian role model he hungered for as a child. But don't listen to me, listen for yourself. http://www.npr.org/2012/05/16/152775069/yul-kwon-from-bullying-targ...

from http://www.shakeyourshyness.com