20 Famous People Who Are (or Were) Left-Handed

They say that left-handed people think differently. This dispensation is not without its drawbacks, however. In the Middle Ages, the southpaw-inclined were often accused of witchcraft with some even being burned at the stake. Though left-handed people face less discrimination in the modern age, many old, negative connotations remain. Up until the 21st century, many left-handed children were forced to learn how to write right-handed.

Surprisingly, a good number of celebrities write with their left hand. Though left-handed people make up less than 10% of the population, a who's who of celebrities including Keanu Reeves, Prince William, and Lady Gaga count themselves as part of the southpaw team. In this article, we will explore some of the most famous people who belong to this unique and hallowed group. (For celebrities behind bars, discover 10 of the most famous people currently in jail.)

To compile a list of famous people who are (or were) left-hand dominant, 24/7 Tempo used several entertainment and news publications including Reader's Digest, Hollywoodlife.com, and CBSNews.com. Next, we selected celebrities and famous figures known for being left-handed and sought out interesting facts or quotes discussing it. After that, we confirmed aspects of each person's story using sites like Harper's Bazaar and Britannica.com.

It's surprising how many celebrities tend toward their left hand. This well-known but unassuming actor was born on Sept. 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. However, he spent his childhood in Toronto. Reeves first burst onto the silver screen in '90s films like "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Point Break," and "Speed." This made him a familiar face and he became an A-lister and household name after he scored lead parts in blockbusters like "The Matrix" and "John Wick." Left-handed by birth, he often switches to his other hand for believability in film roles.

Over the years, Reeves became known as a down-to-earth celebrity, with various memes of him eating lunch on the sidewalk going viral. The keen eye will also notice he plays bass right-handed in the band Dogstar.

Prince William, the heir apparent to the British Royal crown, undoubtedly grew up in luxury most people can only dream of. He was born on June 21, 1982, to the beloved Princess Diana and the current king of England, Charles III. While he developed a bit of a bad-boy reputation in his teenage years, he set his sights on a military career. He seemed to feel most comfortable flying so he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) Search and Rescue Force and later, the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Nowadays, William serves as the prince of Wales and performs various duties on behalf of his monarch father, making appearances and hand-waving-type royal activities. Interestingly, royal experts speculate that William got his southpaw from his left-handed great-grandfather, George VI.

From an early age, Lady Gaga set her sights on a career in arts and entertainment. Born on March 28, 1986, as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, she threw herself into music as a teenager, attending a creative high school and showing up to countless open mic gigs. This helped her score a contract with Def Jam Recordings. When that fell through, however, Gaga persisted until she broke out with No. 1 songs like "Just Dance" and "Poker Face."

Since then, she's become one of the biggest pop stars in history, known for her danceable songs and shocking, innovative fashion choices. As for her left-handedness, a telling sign shows itself in her tattoos — they are all on the left side of her body.

Though he's been dead for many years, Babe Ruth's reputation precedes him. Known affectionately as the "Great Bambino," "The Sultan of Swat," and the "Colossus of Clout," Ruth remains one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Born on Feb. 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Ruth began his baseball career as a left-handed pitcher. After a controversial trade to the New York Yankees, however, Ruth became best known as a slugger, hitting balls far beyond people's imagination.

Simultaneously, he was dogged by the press, who placed great scrutiny on him for his purported hard-drinking and womanizing lifestyle. As for his hand priority, Ruth wrote this in his autobiography: "I'm left-handed in everything else I do, but when it comes to writing I'm as right-handed as any right-hander you ever saw. It just goes to show that people take a lot of things for granted. They don't observe things closely, particularly things about which they feel confident." (For other celebrities who met controversy, discover 20 once-revered American icons who fell from grace.)

Before he was known far and wide for his scathing and hilarious exposés of American politics, Jon Stewart worked as an unassuming stand-up comedian. Born in the Big Apple on Nov. 28, 1962, Stewart found his voice in comedy writing instead. This led to small-time shows like "Short Attention Span Theater," and "You Wrote It, You Watch It." After he joined the cast of "The Daily Show" in 1999, the show steadily increased in popularity until it became one of the most-watched programs on television.

Seen as something of the voice for the millennial generation, Stewart retired from the show to write several books before taking back his role in February 2024 as America's hilarious voice of reason.

No one brings the charm and pomp to a leading role quite like Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Born on Oct. 12, 1968, Jackman worked as a primary school teacher before scoring a role on the popular Australian soap opera "Neighbours." This led to a long stint in the world of theatre, where his magnanimous presence became more known. His breakout came when he scored the role of Wolverine in the "X-Men" film franchise.

Since then, he's become a proper A-lister with roles in several blockbuster extravaganzas. Much like Keanu Reeves, Jackman often takes the form of a right-handed person to give more believability to certain film roles.

Not many child actors manage to pull off the transition into adulthood, but Scarlett Johansson did it quite well. Born on Nov. 22, 1984, in New York City, Johansson gained kudos for her childhood roles in films like "North." After that, she did a small stint in the independent film world in movies like "Ghost World." Thanks to her striking presence, Johansson struck out immediately after winning a BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her role in "Lost in Translation."

Since then, she's split her career between cerebral, sci-fi films like "Her," and more mass-market superhero blockbusters thanks to her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Universe. Besides film, Johansson engages in various philanthropic activities and causes.

They say left-handed people think differently than their right-handed counterparts. Perhaps this inclination helped Bill Gates become one of the richest people in the world. Born in New Mexico on Oct. 28, 1955, Gates and his colleague started the Microsoft Corporation in 1975. Sensing a seismic shift in the world of technology, Gates spearheaded Microsoft as it steadily grew into the premier computer company on Earth. In the process, Gates became one of the richest men in history. Furthermore, in 1999, he became the first person to ever be worth over $100 billion.

Since stepping down from Microsoft, Gates has used his hefty pockets to fund countless charities and philanthropic causes. While he doesn't directly credit his left-handedness for his success, he has made hints in that direction. Gates once said, "There's a little bit of higher variance of talent, high and low, for left-handers. But it's never been explained."

Even as a small child, it seemed fate had music in store for David Bowie. Born in London as David Robert Jones on Jan. 8, 1947, Bowie took to dance and music early, performing in school dance recitals before working in a string of adolescent rock bands. This early practice helped him grow into one of the most striking and innovative musicians of the 20th century.

After achieving No. 1 hits with several singles in the late 1960s, Bowie embarked on a career shift and became "Ziggy Stardust" for several celebrated space-opera-like albums. This shifting became something of a pattern he would continue for the rest of his career, constantly surprising even the most ardent fan with his creative explorations. Thanks to the severe lack of left-handed instruments, however, Bowie played guitar right-handed for his entire career.

You know you're doing something right (or left) if you become known as the "Left Hand of God." Sandy Koufax was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 30, 1935, and showed a natural aptitude for sports at an early age. Though he started as a basketball player, he developed a love of baseball and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers at the tender age of 19. Ironically, coaches considered him too green to station on the pitching mound early on. Over time, however, he showed moments of genius as a left-handed pitcher. Eventually, he became one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game and became the first to win three Cy Young Awards.

Due to chronic pain in his left elbow, Koufax retired before his 31st birthday. Even still, he became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Perhaps being left-handed helped Mark Zuckerberg see the future of social interaction before anyone else. While MySpace pioneered the online community, Zuckerberg's Facebook transformed the idea into a real-life look into people's activities.

Born on May 14, 1984, Zuckerberg grew up in White Plains, New York, where he showed an instinct for technology. While studying at Harvard, he (controversially) started Facebook with his roommates. After dropping out, Zuckerberg took the company public and became the youngest self-made billionaire at age 23. He remains at the helm of Facebook as it has endured name changes (Meta) and plenty of controversy. When he's not running Facebook, Zuckerberg is involved in various philanthropic and charity activities with his wife Priscilla Chan.

It might just be that cooking with your left hand is the way to culinary fame, as world-famous chef Gordon Ramsay favors his left hand. Born on Nov. 8, 1966, in Scotland, Ramsay showed promise as a football player long before the kitchen called his name. In his teenage years, however, he took to food and slowly worked his way up from dishwashing to hotel kitchens, until he reached the celebrated heights of French cuisine in some of London's finest restaurants.

Eventually, Ramsay ventured out on his own and quite successfully, too, as his restaurant group earned a dizzying 17 Michelin Stars. Along the way, Ramsay started hosting television. Thanks to his fiery temper and charming personality, he became a household name with his roles in various hit cooking shows like "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares." Thanks to the status of celebrity chefs in the current culture, Ramsay remains one of the highest-earning celebrities.

As the son of the celebrated comedy duo Stiller and Meara, Ben Stiller had an easy path towards laughter. Born on Nov. 30, 1965, in the Big Apple, Stiller used his familial connections to enter the world of show business. Bit parts on soap operas and one-liners in films gave way to more personal projects like "The Ben Stiller Show." From there, Stiller set his sights on higher goals and achieved them with roles in increasingly well-known and big-budget films like "Reality Bites" and "The Cable Guy."

He hit it big, however, with "Zoolander's" satirical take on the male modeling world. From there, he embarked on a career of silly but incredibly successful comedy films like "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Meet the Parents," and "Tropic Thunder." Though he doesn't speak about his left-handed persuasion, the fact that his character Derek Zoolander "can't turn left" and his mentor in the movie loses his left hand hints toward his southpaw inclination.

While many left-handed people on this list are famous for their work in the entertainment world, Ruth Bader Ginsberg made her name through more serious, judicially-minded ventures. Born on March 15, 1933, in Brooklyn, Ginsberg set her sights on the law early, graduating from Cornell and attending Columbia Law School. There, she became involved in International Procedure with a Swedish leaning. In turn, she learned Swedish, spent time in the country, and became inspired to pursue gender equality in the law for the remainder of her career.

Eventually, President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit before she became the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Though Ginsburg died in 2020, she remains a paragon of successful women and left-handed achievers.

Some comedians languish in dimly lit clubs for decades. Others like Jerry Seinfeld reach incredible heights of success and stardom. Born on April 29, 1954, in New York City, Seinfeld developed a love for comedy through various records he played constantly throughout his childhood. As a teenager, he started working in local clubs and honing his craft for perfect joke-writing. Though he had several television appearances during this time, his career didn't take off until he created "Seinfeld" with fellow New York standup Larry David.

"Seinfeld" brought the pair unparalleled success as it became one of the most celebrated shows of all time and earned Seinfeld millions of dollars. While his left-handedness rarely comes up, he credits his first joke to his southpaw nature. As he originally put it, "So, I am left-handed. Left-handed people do not like that the word left is so often associated with negative things. Left feet. Left-handed compliment. 'What are we having for dinner? Leftovers.' You go to a party there is nobody there. 'Where did everybody go?' 'They left!'"

For most pop stars, getting a foot in the door requires countless meetings, agents, and precarious deals. Justin Bieber changed the game, however, thanks to finding superstardom through unassuming YouTube videos. Born on March 1, 1994, in Ontario, Canada, Bieber gained the attention of Usher and manager Scooter Braun on the internet who secured him a record deal. After that, Bieber released "My World," which welcomed him into true fame.

Over the years, Bieber became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Much like other musicians on this list, Bieber seems right-handed due to his guitar-playing style. He said, "Basically when I started playing the guitar, I picked up a right-handed guitar. 'Cause that was all … my mom had, a right-handed guitar in the house. And picked it up and I picked it up left-handed."

When Eminem burst onto the music scene in the late 1990s, no one took white rappers seriously. Thanks to his transgressive lyrics, outsized personality, and emotional angst, however, Eminem changed the game. Born in Detroit on Oct. 17, 1972, as Marshall Mathers, Eminem fought it out in the rap battle scene before Dr. Dre discovered his abilities. After he released "The Marshall Mathers EP" and "The Eminem Show," Eminem found worldwide success.

Though he leads a relatively reclusive life these days, Eminem remains one of the best-selling musicians of all time with an estimated 220 million records sold. Furthermore, he's made several cryptic one-liner references in songs to his southpaw nature.

As one of half of the beloved identical twin actors, Mary-Kate Olsen endured adult-level success as a small child. Thanks to her and her sister's role on the beloved sitcom "Full House," Olsen became a household name. Once the show ended, the twins embarked on a movie career, selling out seats with films like "Holiday in the Sun," "Winning London," and "Passport to Paris."

Since reaching maturity, Olsen and her sister have practically retired from the acting world. They've turned their attention to the fashion world instead, starting the fashion brand The Row in March 2012. Since the twins are identical, it's surprising that Mary-Kate is left-handed while her sister Ashley is right-handed.

No one throws a baseball with the power and velocity of Randy Johnson. Born on Sept. 10, 1963, in Walnut Creek, California, Johnson at 6 feet, 10 inches became the tallest player to ever enter Major League Baseball. For 22 seasons, Johnson dominated the pitching mound, leading to his nickname "The Big Unit." It seems he took Sandy Koufax's mantle and ran with it as he won a whopping five Cy Young Awards throughout his career.

While his left-handedness is evident from his pitching style, Johnson once famously (and controversially) struck and killed a passing pigeon while pitching from the mound.

Perhaps more than any figure, Paul McCartney changed the face of popular music. Born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England, McCartney taught himself to play various instruments before joining John Lennon's Quarrymen band. After the band fought it out in small Berlin nightclubs, they found worldwide success as The Beatles. The band became so big they truly transformed popular music. For his part, McCartney found his niche as a brilliant songwriter, penning 32 songs that reached the No. 1 spot.

After The Beatles broke up, McCartney embarked on an incredibly successful solo career. Once, McCartney mentioned how helpful being left-handed was for singing harmonies with George Harrison. When they played on stage, their guitars sat in the opposite direction instead of crashing into each other.

Jay Leno was born on April 28, 1950, just outside New York City in New Rochelle. He became enraptured with standup comedy early in life, which saw him play the comedy club circuit for years. A chance opportunity changed his life when NBC hired him as the host of "The Tonight Show." For 17 years, Leno held the gig and became one of the most celebrated hosts on television. Eventually, he retired from "The Tonight Show" and pursued his love of cars with shows like "Jay Leno's Garage."

Quotes about his southpaw nature remain hard to find. However, he once said, "The heart is happiest when the head and the hand work together." (For celebrity brushes with death, discover famous people involved in fatalities.)