The Hollywood vs Social Media "You Can’t Play That Part!" Casting Debate

[Chest Rockwell]

I'm all for inclusivity and opportunity but I'm not sure people are appreciating what MND does to you. For one, Stephen Hawking was a real fringe case in how well he managed to control the disease and for how long. Also every case is different. Finding an actor with the condition, who could manage to the level of being able to cope with a film production and promotion schedule, and was a good enough actor for the role is a real needle in a haystack job.

I do appreciate the broader points being made though, and I don't think it being difficult means they shouldn't try. The public backlash is a good thing if it affects the bottom line, because without it film studios would obviously just continue to take the cheaper and easier route.

[HarmonicGenerator]

40 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I'm all for inclusivity and opportunity but I'm not sure people are appreciating what MND does to you. For one, Stephen Hawking was a real fringe case in how well he managed to control the disease and for how long. Also every case is different. Finding an actor with the condition, who could manage to the level of being able to cope with a film production and promotion schedule, and was a good enough actor for the role is a real needle in a haystack job.

I do appreciate the broader points being made though, and I don't think it being difficult means they shouldn't try. The public backlash is a good thing if it affects the bottom line, because without it film studios would obviously just continue to take the cheaper and easier route.

The other thing with a film like the Hawking one is you're wanting to depict the person before their diagnosis and before the condition takes hold, as well as during. From that perspective, I would have to assume you need an actor who can perform as, for lack of a better word, 'able' as well as with MND. Elephant Man I can appreciate is different because Merrick was (I think) born with his condition, and with prosthetics I guess it's as easy to CGI a disabled actor 'before' as it is to depict The Rock with a prosthetic leg, but if you're depicting someone who was able to walk, speak verbally etc and subsequently was unable to, an actor in that latter state would require a rewrite of the film.

I've wondered occasionally if that's partly why cis actors keep being given trans roles. Not wondered out loud because I don't want to accidentally offend anyone by asking, so apologies in advance if that's the case, but for trans actors, would performing both as their gender and that which they had pre-transition be considered triggering at all - would there be trans actors uncomfortable in acting 'before' and 'after', so to speak? Obviously they'd have a much better psychological handle on that than a cis actor but might it be problematic for some cases?

[Carbomb]

34 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

The other thing with a film like the Hawking one is you're wanting to depict the person before their diagnosis and before the condition takes hold, as well as during. From that perspective, I would have to assume you need an actor who can perform as, for lack of a better word, 'able' as well as with MND. Elephant Man I can appreciate is different because Merrick was (I think) born with his condition, and with prosthetics I guess it's as easy to CGI a disabled actor 'before' as it is to depict The Rock with a prosthetic leg, but if you're depicting someone who was able to walk, speak verbally etc and subsequently was unable to, an actor in that latter state would require a rewrite of the film.

I've wondered occasionally if that's partly why cis actors keep being given trans roles. Not wondered out loud because I don't want to accidentally offend anyone by asking, so apologies in advance if that's the case, but for trans actors, would performing both as their gender and that which they had pre-transition be considered triggering at all - would there be trans actors uncomfortable in acting 'before' and 'after', so to speak? Obviously they'd have a much better psychological handle on that than a cis actor but might it be problematic for some cases?

Those are definitely valid points. In the case of the latter paragraph, certainly that's a consideration. I liked Orange Is The New Black's solution, which was quite elegant, but also lucky: Laverne Cox, who played the trans character, has a twin brother who was able to play her character pre-op. But certainly, whilst there are a lot of trans actors, there probably aren't that many who have a) a twin, and b) a twin that is able and/or willing to act. 

In the cases of trans characters who are depicted completely post-transition, obviously it's less of an issue.

[Loki]

Geri Jewell is absolutely fantastic in Deadwood as Jewel, and she was on Facts Of Life in the 80s.  But she's about the only 'disabled' (cerebral palsy) actor I can think of off the top of my head.

[Bellenda Carlisle]

The son in breaking bad was actually disabled wasn't he? I'm surprised he hasn't been in more (although he's not a great actor from what I recall)

[Keith Houchen]

So, with The Predator being released, it turns out that UKFF favourite Shane Black still hires his mate who is a registered sex offender and didn't tell Olivia Munn (and hasn't spoken to her since she blew the whistle)

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/olivia-munn-shane-black-the-predator-sex-offender-steven-striegel-a8530711.html

[Divorced Dad]

On 9/3/2018 at 10:35 PM, Bellenda Carlisle said:

The son in breaking bad was actually disabled wasn't he? I'm surprised he hasn't been in more (although he's not a great actor from what I recall)

He is but from what I remember the show had him act more disabled than he actually is in real life.