Actors with disabilities left out of Hollywood's diversity push

Advocates for diversity in film and television say the roles of disabled characters are too often given to able-bodied actors such as Dwayne Johnson, who played an amputee in the 2018 film 'Skyscraper'. Photo: Handout

Over the years, actress Marilee Talkington, who is legally blind, has repeatedly auditioned for television shows featuring a character who is also blind.

Several times, however, the same thing happened: The part went to an actress who was not blind.

"It's a punch to the gut," Talkington said. "If you're white and playing a person of colour, do you know how offensive that is? We need to look at disability the same way."

As Hollywood faces another reckoning over its lack of diversity, actors with disabilities are hoping they will be included in the conversation this time.

Studios are under pressure to address racial and gender inequality. But the industry's failure to create more disabled characters - and to cast actors with disabilities in those roles - has received much less attention.

People with disabilities represent about 20% of the United States' population. Yet just 3% of regular characters on TV shows have a disability.

Of the disabled characters on TV and streaming services, more than three-quarters were played by actors who do not have the same disability, according to the Ruderman Family Foundation, which works to promote more inclusive policies for people with disabilities.

Advocates say such casting decisions are insulting and take opportunities from performers with disabilities.

"Trying to find an authentically played disabled character on screen is like trying to find Waldo," said comedian Maysoon Zayid, who has cerebral palsy and plays a recurring role on soap opera General Hospital (1963 to present).

"I don't think Hollywood can truly be considered inclusive until they stop the horrid practice of casting non-disabled actors to play visibly disabled roles."

There are signs the industry is starting to change. Comedian Steve Way, who has muscular dystrophy, has a part on Ramy (2019 to present), a comedy on Hulu about a young American Muslim struggling with his faith.

Talkington has a recurring role on the first season of See (2019 to present), a science-fiction show on Apple TV+ in which the human race has lost its sense of sight.

Yet all too often, advocates say, the roles of disabled characters are given to able-bodied actors such as Bryan Cranston, who played a quadriplegic in the movie The Upside (2017), or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who played an amputee in Skyscraper (2018).

Over the years, Hollywood has frequently given able-bodied actors Oscars for portraying disabled characters, from Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man (1988) to Eddie Redmayne in The Theory Of Everything (2014).

"Every single time a non-disabled actor is cast in a disabled role is a step backwards," said actor Ryan Haddad, who has cerebral palsy and plays a student on Netflix's The Politician (2019 to present).

"Before you even get to the audition process, you need to say, 'if I'm writing this character, it will be played by a disabled actor and that's it. There's no other option.'"

Some actors with disabilities are hopeful the Black Lives Matter movement will lead to greater inclusion of all marginalised groups in Hollywood. Others remain sceptical, having seen people with disabilities overlooked during similar initiatives before.

"A couple years ago, when the Oscars put out that statement on diversity, disabled people were completely left out," Way said.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it happens again."

In January, the Ruderman Family Foundation wrote an open letter calling for more casting of people with disabilities, signed by major stars such as George Clooney and Olivia Munn.

The group's president, Jay Ruderman, has asked all the major US media companies to pledge to audition and cast more performers with disabilities. So far, only CBS has agreed.

Ruderman said: "The fact that I can name only one corporate leader who has come forward and said 'this is the right thing to do' is pretty sad."

Advocates say there need to be more well-rounded roles for actors that have little or nothing to do with their disabilities.

"We need more stories that don't just involve a disabled person wanting to kill themselves or lose their virginity," Way said.

Such portrayals can be done right. During the first season of The Politician, Haddad's character refers to his disability only once.

"It wasn't the only reason I was there," he said. "It was refreshing to just have my walker and be in the story, and not have my arc be obsessively about cerebral palsy." – Bloomberg