| |
ICYMI: Marlee Matlin & Ruderman Family Foundation Explore the Missing Piece of Inclusion - Disability
|
|
Last week, Oscar-winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin & Ruderman Family Foundation President Jay Ruderman joined Variety's Tim Gray for an enlightening and engaging conversation on the challenges of actors with disabilities at Variety's 2019 Inclusion Summit.
Matlin recounted the obstacles she faced being a deaf actress in her 50s and trying to get work. Matlin reminded the audience that when the studio behind Children of a Lesser God first started production, they were looking for a hearing actress to play the lead part until playwright Mark Medoff declared a deaf actress had to play the role of Sarah. That part went to Matlin, earning her an Oscar, one of only two Oscars awarded to a performer with a disability.
Matlin made clear she never stops trying to find - or create - opportunities for her and other actors with disabilities. Check out the full panel below. |
Jay Ruderman, speaking on behalf of the Ruderman Family Foundation, a leading advocate for inclusion of people with disabilities within and outside of entertainment, repeated a common saying in the disability community: "Nothing about us without us."
While he acknowledged it will take time for actors with disabilities to get leading roles routinely, he did highlight filmmaker Edgar Wright for casting CJ Jones, who is deaf, in "Baby Driver" and Kurt Yaeger, who is an amputee, has been cast in several amputee roles. "That's progress," Ruderman said.
"This is a question of equality in opportunity." The Variety Inclusion Summit came just days after the Ruderman Family Foundation launched its Seal of Authentic Representation, saluting ABC's "Speechless," CBS' "NCIS: New Orleans" and Netflix's "Special" & "The OA" for casting actors with disabilities in key roles. Check out the full panel below. |
| | | | |
|
|
