Thread by @Adam_Pearson, Well here we go again, that the subject of acting, castin, equal [...]

Well here we go again, that the subject of acting, castin, equal representation and access is being discussed on twitter. It is a shame however that the majority of the voices involved are either non-actors, non-creatives, those with no lived experience of...

coming from a minority background or in some cases a combination of all of these things.

I therefore will (again...in 2020) unpack this in as direct way as is humanly possible and examine all the common responses / excuse I hear as a disabled actor when it comes to this.

1) “It’s just PC gone mad”. The good old PC arguement. Asking for equality of opportunity within the arts and creative industry isn’t “PC gone mad”. As a child I didn’t think that disabled people were allowed to be in film or TV because I never saw any.

Surely the duty of the arts is to represent and include everyone.

I’m not at all interested in equality of outcome or positive discrimination as it is highly counter productive and sets disabled actors up to fail. I will always advocate for equality of opportunity.

The simple request of recognising disabled actors as equal, as peers, allowing them to audition as such and letting their talent do the rest. Currently however their are barriers to access (physical, attitudinal, economical and social) that are preventing this from happening.

All disabled actor such as myself want is for those barriers to be removed. I can’t, for the life of me see what’s “PC” or “mad” about this request. This isn’t a political debate, it’s a human one.

2) “For f**k sake, how much more do disabled actors want”. As stated above, equality and opportunity. Our industry needs to decide whether or not it wishes to be diverse. The fact of the matter is that if you don’t care about disability then you don’t care about diversity.

It sound rather flippant, I know, but it’s true. We are either diverse or we aren’t. Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that there is a grey area of being “diverse-ish”, either the house we’ve built stands up on diverse foundations or crumbles without them.

“ITS CALLED ACTING”. I know, I do it, it pays my bills. The problem with this arguement stands on two fronts. Firstly the idea that anyone can play anything is antiquated at best, stupid at worst and naive in belief. In 1965 Laurence Olivier used black face to play the role...

Of Othello and by all accounts executed it to perfection. However would this happen in 2019? No (please don’t send me Tropic Thunder memes as that film actually makes the exact same point I’m making here). Culture and society has moved on and the arts should reflect that.

Secondly it sends a message that a disabled actor playing a disabledcharacter isn’t acting or, is somehow lesser in skill. This boils disabled actors, and therefor disabled people down to just their disability. This is a highly monolithic way of looking at a group of people...

who make up 20% of the population and who have a global disposable income of $1 trillion. Was Idris Elba’s portrayal of Mandela “not acting”? Exactly! Disabled actors, along with the roles the want to play, are multi faceted. They are husbands, wives, daughter and sons...

Boyfriends, girlfriends, heroes and villains. I am so much more than just my disability. Kindly treat me as such and allow me to exist and perform as such.

3) “So only rapists can play rapists?” When you compare the representation and treatment of a legally protected minority group to a criminally deviant act you aren’t being funny or clever or furthering any kind of debate. All you are doing is showing you either don’t understand

Or do not care about the conversation that we want to have and are looking to start. If we spent as much time listening to disabled actors as we did overlooking them then, contrary to a quote I read this week, society would be more connected.

4) There aren’t any disabled actors famous enough to draw an audience”. Well this places the cart very much in front of the horse and isn’t how supply and demand works AT ALL. If disabled actors can’t get a foot in the door to play disabled roles, or any roles for that matter...

Even at a grass routes level, how are they expected to become famous or bankable enough. If the right director gives me the right chance, I’ll make them rich! Again, this all can be traced back to equality and opportunity. If you give disabled actor oppprtunities

To practice their craft and the industry gets a influx of amazing talent who just happen to be disabled.

This quote from Grant Rosenmeyer, Producer of Come As You Are is, unfortunately, an all to common sentiment when it come to movie making...

“Are we going to portray an amazing message with great actors who are actually prepared to take on this role or are we going to spend years trying to cast someone with a disability just because they have a disability?”.

Grant Rosenmeyer, Producer (2020).

Again, hold this statement up and ask, if this was being said about other legally protected minorities such as BAME and women, how would it have been received?

Grant, nothing would make me happier than to “Come As I Am” to our industry. To “Come As I Am” to audition to be in your movie. It’s just a shame you can’t be bother to find me...

Or don’t want me “just because I’m disabled”.

#ComeAsYouAre is a cliche story portraying negative stereotypes about disability. We can’t get laid, we are better of dead and that we don’t have careers.

Cheers guys, we love you too.

I know movie make is hard and has constraints. There are higher powers that need pleasing. In very rare cases it might not be possible to cast a disabled actor (VERY RARE CASES). Though #ComeAsYouAre isn’t one of those cases.

As I said - give us opportunity, I’ll we’ll it!

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