Who did Bella Thorne play in Shake It Up? Actress praises Disney for dyslexia representation as a nod to her condition

Annabella Avery Thorne, a.k.a. Bella Thorne, recently praised Disney for its representation of dyslexia in one of its shows. In an exclusive interview with People, published on December 19, the actress reflected on her early struggles with the condition, stating:

"It was always seen as a bad thing. I was bullied for it. I had to go to Sylvan Learning Center and be homeschooled. I was embarrassed about reading because I was so bad at it."

Thorne explained that working on the Disney show Shake It Up was the first time people "made her feel good" about the condition. She even described the atmosphere as "smart and sweet."

Shake It Up was a 2010 sitcom that aired on Disney Channel, centering around CeCe Jones, played by Bella Thorne, and Rocky Blue, played by Zendaya. The show focused on their misadventures as background dancers on a local show Shake It Up, Chicago!

According to the Cleveland Clinic, dyslexia is a learning disability that affects the brain's processing of written language, leading to trouble with reading and language-related tasks.

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"That was such a sweet moment"— Bella Thorne about Shake It Up writers making CeCe dyslexic

While discussing the condition in an interview with People, Bella Thorne explained:

"When I was on Shake It Up, I had to do weekly table reads with so much dialogue, and the scripts sometimes changed the night before. I had to read in front of everybody. It was nerve-wracking."

The actress described her experience, saying she would be "sweating," and added that if she ever messed up and people laughed, thinking it was "silly," she stated, "It wasn't." However, a writer on set figured that Thorne had the condition, leading to Disney making an episode about it. Thorne explained that it was a "sweet moment," stating:

"They made CeCe dyslexic. That was such a sweet moment. It was like, "Wow, you guys think this is a good thing to talk about?"

In the fourth episode of the show titled Add It Up, CeCe's mom tells her if she fails Algebra, she will be grounded and will have to quit Shake It Up, Chicago! During a tutoring session with her brother's friend Henry, he realizes that CeCe struggles with the condition. CeCe later tells Rocky that she is embarrassed by her condition. Rocky helps her prepare for her algebra test, and she passes.

Bella Thorne has frequently spoken about her dyslexia. In an April 2017 interview with People, the actress explained how important it was for her to hear fans say they were inspired by her story. She recalled an incident when a father came up to her and thanked her, saying:

"(He said) 'Bella, I just want to stop you and thank you so much... I’m dyslexic and I have a 6-year-old daughter and I can’t read her a bedtime story at night. I can’t make it through and I’ve been so embarrassed.’"

Bella continued:

She (the daughter) looked at him and was like, ‘It’s okay daddy, Bella is dyslexic too,’ It was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever heard. It’s why we do what we do."

In an April 2010 interview with American Cheese, Bella Thorne revealed that she overcame her disability by reading everything, including books, directions, scripts, cereal boxes, and ingredients.

Currently, Bella Thorne is busy working on her film Color Your Hurt, for which she serves as both director and producer.