09.
Faces of Change Designed by Sarah Healy
An exerpt from the Huffington Post
“It is time for actors to take an active role in one of the most reprehensible forms of prejudice in our time -- the discrimination against disabled people who are or who want to become actors. Hollywood studios and television production companies have failed to increase the number of disabled actors in film and other media. What is next? The facts are that there are about 600 repeating characters in prime-time television, but only six characters are disabled; only one disabled actor plays any of those roles -- even though disabled people make up almost 20 percent of the population. In most films, there will be no disabled actors, and when there is a disabled character, it almost always will be played by a non-disabled actor. Think of the wheel-chair guy in Glee, quadriplegic Jason Street in Friday Night Lights (and his wheel-chair buddy Herc). Think of Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot, Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July, and Dustin Hoffman in Rainman -- all non-disabled actors playing disabled roles.
Never any more would we tolerate whites playing blacks by using blackface to do that, but have no problems keeping disabled actors unemployed while non-disabled ones struggle to portray and often distort what its like to be disabled. But worse we are telling our next generation of bright-faced young thespians that if they have a disability they might as well forget a career in acting. What other identity group would we address in this way to shatter their dreams? If Hollywood studios and television production companies won’t take steps, I call on non-disabled actors all across the country to refuse to take roles that could be played by disabled actors. Let’s call this policy “Don’t Apply, Don’t Accept.” I know this is going to be hard since all actors need work. And it’s going to next to impossible to pass up the role of Helen Keller or Christy Brown, but it’s going to feel right and just and good to know that such a refusal makes a giant statement. And in 10 years or so, we’ll look back in horror, as we do on Fred Astaire or Judy Garland in blackface, when we think that this kind of discrimination in regard to disability was not only tolerated but encouraged.”
These are some of the heroic individuals who are working for equality in the way that characters with disabilities in film and television are represented and actors/actresses with disabilities are cast.
01.
Daryl Mitchel
“This is what my life is. This is what I want the world to see. I want to hold the networks accountable. If I can come out and do what I’m doing, they can come to the table.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY BEST KNOWN FOR
July 16, 1965 (age 48) Actor Paraplegic Motorcycle Accident, 2001 The John Larroquette Show (1993) 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Inside Man (2006)
02.
Peter Dinklage
“When I was younger, definitely, I let it get to me. As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry and I definitely put up these walls. But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humour. You just know that it’s not your problem. It’s theirs.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY AWARDS
BEST KNOWN FOR
November 15, 1980 (age 33) Actor Dwarfism Caused by Achondroplasia Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2011) Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2011) Satellite Award - Best Supporting Actor Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2011) Scream Award Best Supporting Actor (2011) Game of Thrones (2011-present) The Station Agent (2003) Elf (2003) Death at a Funeral (2007, 2010) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012).
03.
Marlee Matlin
“I don’t necessarily want to be the spokesperson for the deaf community... I am a spokesperson for the needs that hearingimpaired people face, one being closed-captioning, as an example. Because that’s something that’s needed out there.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY AWARDS
BEST KNOWN FOR
August 24, 1965 (age 48) Actress Deaf Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama Children of a Lesser God (1986) What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004) Reasonable Doubts (1991) The L Word (2004)
04.
Chris Burke
“We all have different talents, but some people with disabilities, they don’t know that. Never give up. Always say to yourself, ‘Yes I can, I can make a difference in my own life.’”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY BEST KNOWN FOR
August 26, 1965 (age 48) Actor, Folk Singer Down Syndrom Life Goes On (1989-1993) Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
05.
Michael J. Fox
“For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given... So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson’s, I’ve learned that what is important is making that one step count; always looking up.
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY AWARDS
BEST KNOWN FOR
June 9, 1961 (age 52) Actor, Author, Producer Parkinson’s Disease Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (2010) Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series (1989, 1998, 1999, 2000) People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series (1997) Saturn Award for Best Actor (1985) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (1999, 2000) Back to the Future (1985) Family Ties (1982-1989) Spin City (1996-2001) Stuart Little (2002) The Michael J. Fox Show (2013)
06.
Kurt Yaeger
“This would be like being in the ‘50s and having a white guy do blackface, at this point. You need to start having disabled people playing disabled characters. Period.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY BEST KNOWN FOR
January 3, 1977 (age 36) Actor, Professional BMX Rider Amputee Motorcycle Accident, 2006 Son’s of Anarchy (2012) Dolphin Tale (2011) Tenderloin (2009)
07.
Geri Jewell
“I didn’t know the significance my appearance on television has until later. It would take me a long time to understand it. But after I first appeared on [on television], I received thousands of fan letters. I received letters that said, ‘You changed my life.’ It took a while for me to understand that.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY AWARDS
BEST KNOWN FOR
September 13, 1956 (age 57) Actress, Comedian, Advocate Cerebral Paulsy Founders Award (1992) Independent Living Legacy Award (2005) National Rehabilitation Hospital Victory Award (2006) The Facts of Life (1980-1984) Deadwood (2004) Two of a Kind (1982) Pie Head: A Kinda True Story (2012)
08.
Danny Woodburn
“Actors with disabilities are less willing to be marginalized... There’s no excuse for underrepresenting us.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY BEST KNOWN FOR
June 11, 1969 (age 44) Actor Dwarfism Mirror, Mirror (2013) Death to Smoochy (2002) Employee of the Month (2006) Jingle all the Way (1996) Seinfeld (1994-1998)
09.
Robert David Hall
“I think there’s a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable. All of that is nonsense. I’ve made my living as an actor for 30 years and I walk on two artificial legs.”
DATE OF BIRTH OCCUPATION DISABILITY BEST KNOWN FOR
November 9, 1947 (age 66) Actor Double Leg Amputee Car Accident, 1978 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) Starship Troopers (1997) The Negotiator (1998)
Sources Include
Internet Movie Database Yahoo, TV The Huffington Post SAG-AFTRA TODAY NPR