'Only Disabled Actors Should Play Disabled Roles'

[Chekhov 488]

2 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

Who is going to play the dead bodies ?

Only dead people would be allowed to play dead bodies, surely that's obvious, just don't smell too deeply.....

[The_DADDY 3,479]

1 minute ago, Chekhov said:

Only dead people would be allowed to play dead bodies, surely that's obvious, just don't smell too deeply.....

My bold

Or Sean Bean......

[Chekhov 488]

2 minutes ago, melthebell said:

Exactly what I was thinking, they can't play able bodied roles so their work is limited

Some could, but I think we're going if up a rabbit hole here.

It's not about work availability surely ? I thought the point Mat Fraser was making was that only disabled actors could really get into the part properly was that only disabled actors had had that life experience. But, of course, if you want to use that one it cuts both ways, disabled actors should not be playing able bodied roles "as they have not had that life experience".....

[melthebell 864]

1 minute ago, Chekhov said:

Some could, but I think we're going if up a rabbit hole here.

It's not about work availability surely ? I thought the point Mat Fraser was making was that only disabled actors could really get into the part properly was that only disabled actors had had that life experience. But, of course, if you want to use that one it cuts both ways, disabled actors should not be playing able bodied roles "as they have not had that life experience".....

How many able bodied roles can none able bodied people do?

Could Matt Fraser be the next superman? James bond?  Captain America?

[Chekhov 488]

8 minutes ago, melthebell said:

How many able bodied roles can none able bodied people do?

Could Matt Fraser be the next superman? James bond?  Captain America?

I suppose it depends how disabled the actors are.

[altus 540]

17 minutes ago, Mister M said:

I can understand where some disabled actors, especially wheelchair users, are coming from. 

Actors who are wheelchair users will be limited as to the roles they get by virtue of their disability, I think it's normal they'd want to fight to protect the limited work open to them.

If the industry's default casting position wasn't 'give the role to the posh white person who went to RADA' I don't think there'd be such an issue. It's not just disabled actors who have this problem. How often are working class roles given to those from a middle/upper class background compared to how many higher class roles are given to those from a working class background?

 

There are many roles for characters written as able bodied where being able bodied isn't part of the plot and could easily be performed by a disabled person. How often does that happen?

[melthebell 864]

Being a minority add the fact that society still looks down on disabled people so they aren't going to get jobs as romantic leads or leading men/woman, unless it's a story about a disabled person

[altus 540]

16 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

Some could, but I think we're going if up a rabbit hole here.

It's not about work availability surely ? I thought the point Mat Fraser was making was that only disabled actors could really get into the part properly was that only disabled actors had had that life experience. But, of course, if you want to use that one it cuts both ways, disabled actors should not be playing able bodied roles "as they have not had that life experience".....

That rather depends on why they are disabled. If it's because of an accident they will have had that life experience.

[Rockers rule 673]

2 hours ago, crookesey said:

I suppose that amputating both of Kenneth More’s legs would have been out of the question then. 

I'd imagine he was pretty glad as well. 'The 39 steps' would have been a much harder role.

 

Taina Elg (Miss Fisher) 😍  

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Who should play dead people, please? And how'll you get corpses to sign their acting contracts?

[m williamson 802]

3 hours ago, Chekhov said:

Some could, but I think we're going if up a rabbit hole here.

It's not about work availability surely ? I thought the point Mat Fraser was making was that only disabled actors could really get into the part properly was that only disabled actors had had that life experience. But, of course, if you want to use that one it cuts both ways, disabled actors should not be playing able bodied roles "as they have not had that life experience".....

Ever seen ' My Left Foot ' starring Daniel Day Lewis as Christy Brown, the Irish writer and painter who had cerebral palsy and could only type and paint using his left foot? A true story, heart-breaking and inspirational at the same time.

 

 

It's called acting.  It isn't necessary to be a murderer to play a killer or for an actress to have a child to play a mother. The whole point is how they can make you believe the story.