Ten Celebs Who Bounced Back

Although stars are usually portrayed as beautiful people with charmed lives, there are some who have the same problems as millions of other people. They’re the wrong height or weight. They’ve been addicted to drugs or have a debilitating disease. Here are ten stars who show they’ve got the courage and resilience to deal with those devastating problems.

Michael J. Fox

Back in 1991, Fox, 50, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Suffering with that kind of illness means agonizing slowness in walking and consistent shaking. Yet the “Back To The Future” star has survived gracefully thanks to his own strong spirit (he’s since become an advocate for research into Parkinson’s) as well as his wife, Tracy Pollan.

Chaz Bono In transitioning from female to male, Cher’s child, 42, has undergone what’s probably the most extraordinary public transformation in recent history. Since announcing her transition in 2008, Chaz has undergone gender-reassignment surgery and is taking male hormones. Although he has been mocked for his transformation, Chaz has stayed firmly in the public spotlight as an example for others who are considering the same path. Cher, who was at first upset at the transition, now fully supports Chaz and made an emotional appearance at “Dancing With The Stars,” where her son is a contestant.

Marlee Matlin “At some point we have to say, ‘There’s Marlee,’ not ‘There’s the deaf actress.’” Matlin, 46, said once. And in fact, deafness may have been the least of her obstacles: She’s dealt with substance abuse, physical abuse and, as a child, sexual abuse. But Marlin has never been shy about pursuing what she wants. She’s won an Academy Award for her role as a deaf woman in “Children Of A Lesser God,” and she’s played characters in recent TV shows like The L Word and Desperate Housewives. “It was ability that mattered, not disability,” she’s said, “which is a word I’m not crazy about using."

Robert Downey, Jr. Even in Hollywood, which has more than its share of substance abusers, Robert Downey, Jr. stood out. He did heroin as well as cocaine and marijuana. He carried a gun, broke into a neighbor’s home and spent a year in a California state prison. After five years of insanity (1996-2001) Downey, now 46, decided enough was enough. He got clean and is now one of the most successful actors around, starring in The Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes franchises. “It’s not that difficult to overcome these ghastly problems,” he’s said. “What’s hard is to decide to actually do it.”

Kirstie Alley The former “Cheers” star, 60, has battled both drugs and wild fluctuations in weight. A Scientologist, Alley has acknowledged having a problem with cocaine in the late 1970s. Ironically, she used the cocaine to try to control her weight. But after three years of using the drug, Alley hit bottom – “I could feel the abyss but inches away,” she told an interviewer – and she got clean with Scientology’s rehab program. The weight problem stayed, though. But Alley forged on and ultimately lost an incredible 100 pounds by the summer of 2011. After she wowed audiences with her svelte appearance on “Dancing with the Stars,” she said, “I’ve got my game back again.”

Michael Douglas He’s never been known as a softy, so it was no surprised when Michael Douglas approached his diagnosis of throat cancer in 2010 with the same aggressiveness as Gordon Gekko making a deal in “Wall Street.” Douglas, who attributes his illness to years of smoking and drinking, was diagnosed at a late stage and underwent several grueling rounds of chemotherapy. Now, he says, he’s responded to the treatment and his illness is under control. Still, he’s been seen smoking after the diagnosis – not the best move to make during a crucial time.

Peter Dinklage The 42-year-old actor, who won an Emmy for his role in the fantasy series "Game of Thrones," stands 4’5” as a result of being born with achondroplasia, a condition that causes dwarfism. Unfortunately, too many people with acondroplasia suffer from the insensitivity and cruelty of others, so to make it in the entertainment world – where looks are everything – is a big deal. But Dinklage, who’s married to theater director Erica Schmidt, managed to push past that and put the focus on his talent, not his height. “You just have to have a sense of humor,” he’s said. “You just know that it’s their problem, not yours.”

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Hudson’s career is phenomenal – after finishing just seventh on American Idol, she went on to win an Oscar and a Grammy. But an unimaginable tragedy soon followed: In October 2008, Hudson’s mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew were shot to death in her Chicago neighborhood. (The estranged husband of Hudson’s sister was charged with the killings.) Earlier this year, Hudson told Oprah Winfrey that it was the memory of her mother that made her get back to work, singing and recording. “I try to do everything to say, ‘OK, will my mother like that? Will she be pleased?’” Not only has Hudson kept up her vocal career despite overwhelming emotional odds, she also gave birth to David Otunga Jr. in 2009; the father is Hudson’s fiancé, David Otunga. And she’s lost 80 pounds as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.

Kathy Bates If Jennifer Hudson is famous for losing weight, Kathy Bates is noted for keeping it on – and still finding work. Although Bates, 63, is one of the most respected actresses around; since she won an Oscar in 1990 for her crazed-fan role in “Misery,” she’s worked in 70-plus movie, TV and voiceover projects. Even now, she’s got her own series, “Harry’s Law,” and was nominated for an Emmy earlier this year. Besides that, she’s battled ovarian cancer and has spoken out to raise awareness of the illness.

Linda Hunt There aren’t a whole lot of actresses who could portray both a male political activist (“The Year of Living Dangerously”) and a fussy fashion editrix (Pret-a-Porter.) But Hunt, 66, has done both in her career. Most TV fans probably know her best for her role as the flinty head investigator Henrietta (Hetty) Lange in the hit series “NCIS: Los Angeles,” but Hunt’s resume stretches back for decades. In 1981, she played a groundbreaking role as a man, Billy Kwan, in “The Year Of Living Dangerously,” and won an Oscar—the first time an actor won for playing a person of the opposite sex. Hunt’s achievement is all the more remarkable because she’s been able to make the audience focus on her acting ability rather than her 4’9” height.