The REAL Reason Disabled Actors Should Play Disabled Characters on TV & in Movies…
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
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I'm Molly, a typical sushi, makeup, and fashion loving millennial girl who just so happens to be blind! I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at just 4 years old and began public speaking at age 5. I started just doing motivational speaking, but now I make videos and even model! Even though I can’t see, I know that there are bright spots in everything we face. Let’s find them together. 💕
BTW if you know what TV show I'm talking about, there is no need to send them hate or be negative about it. It's an annoying situation but it happened years ago and I'm over it. I just thought I'd share because I usually just keep my mouth shut about the bad experiences I've had trying to break into the industry as a blind actor, but especially with a video like this, I feel it's important to at least share a little taste of what I've been through to help people understand! :) I've never watched the show and don't plan to, so I don't know exactly how similar or different the character actually is to me. I only know what I was told when I auditioned, and what my friends/followers have told me about her.
Dont forgot that invisible disability is a thing. There's more out there than you would know or expect. It's easy to fall into ableist views when you forget that there's people out there who are disabled but don't appear so to the naked eye. And yes; disabled people can be ableist against others with disabilities. It's the reason the term "sick-olympics" exists in the first place.
I agree with you 100% and then some Dear Molly. I hope after I’m not here that there will come a time ppl like me and you will not suffer and be neglected abused, ignored and all the other things that you. Mentioned perfectly.💜peace
It sickens me that they literally took your story, didn’t hire you, and didn’t compensate you for the use of it.
Cant you sue them though for taking your life stories and experiences and making a show based off of it? I mean for the to give a role not to you is ridiculous.
Not right at all. They needed you
Has anyone seen 'A Quiet Place'? It is a horror movie, but such a good one. There is a deaf actress who plays a deaf character, and she is basically the hero of the whole story and her disability is the reason that her family survives. I think it is wonderfully written because it shows how given a different living environment, disabilities can become advantageous.
Sarah Brown
I have not seen this movie
Thank you for the wonderful idea 💡 Definitely watching it tonight
Yes, John Krasinski insisted a deaf person play the role and I think cast and crew learned ASL as well.
@@SabrinaPlaza1031 it is phenominal the husband and whife are an actual couple in real life and the little girl helped teach the cast sign language. and if they made a mistake it was the little girl who had to call the cut because of the signing mistake. at least thats what ive heard.
but i completely relate to what molly said.... when i was 18 i auditioned reluctantly for the traveling auditions for a production of hunchback of notredame for the part of quazi modo. as the director was hoping he could get this to a bigger stage, like broadway. and i lost the part not because i couldnt sing, not because i didnt fit the part but because since i am a hunchback because i have an extreme form of scoliosis so i have a huge hunch on my left side just like in the disney cartoon.... i lost the part because i couldnt climb the ropes so an abled body guy got the part and worse yet, i didnt even get to be the understudy, a guy who (in my oppinion) had a bit too tough a singing voice (he is a great singer i want to clarify that!) but he has a bit too much of a rock sound and not really that soft texture voice plus he smoked which isnt exactly what you want in someone who is going to be singing songs.
i have been 4foot11 since i was 14 and i cant grow any taller and back then i had played oliver and the artful dodge from oliver twist. i got to play scar in a charity theater show hell i even played edna turnblad in a small theater group (just a heads up it was mainly because no guy was willing to do it coz they were scared of the lash back but i had just come out as gay at the time and i love dress design so i helped the lady doing costumes make something for me so it looked like a big suit coz i was very skinny then). but thats all they were... small groups having fun . we werent getting paid.
the hunchback of notradame was practically my life story to the point where the songs quasi modo cries at when he sing... i would cry because i have lived his life right down to the abusive religious parent.
that show was my perfect match and i had an 8 octivate range going up to whistle tone so i could sing every song in the show if i wanted to. and its the only thing i was ever confident in. but i never got it they went on to do huge shows and i was left at the way side thinking why was i so undeserving of the role coz i know i could play that role. me and quasi modo are one and the same and i can sing, so why was the other guy better than me.......
several years later i had my singing exame in academy and my teacher wouldnt let me rest my voice (i was wanting to rest my voice coz my voice broke the wonders of puberty) i told her forcing my voice coz damage my vocal cords and my body takes longer to heal coz of other disabilities i have, but she didnt listen and my vocal cords were perminantly scarred and i can barely sing anymore. 2 years after i finished academy the same director asked me to take the lead for the uk tour and (in the most heartbreaking moment of my life) i had to say no... it was tooo late... my body was weak, my voice fragile, and my will broken, and with uk laws not letting me work. im now trapped in my home. if i work i have to get 4 full time jobs just to offord bills and rent or i can live on benifits and barely have enough to survive and pray to god they dont cut the benifits more and i end up homeless. and i had to choose the benifits path. and now my life is just this black tar burning and poisoning everything, with no hope in sight.
if im honest i wish a lot of the time i just wasnt born because then i wouldnt coz such pain for others.
Oh yes its AMAZING!!!!! If anyone didn't see it do yourself a favor and watch it. You won't be disappointed
Emily Blunt’s husband Josh Krasinski directed that film and his wife acted in that movie as well. I don’t usually like horror films, but that one was well done.
Some years ago I worked in an engineering department for a large employer. I was being interviewed for a managerial roll. At the time the UK government offered to pay 50% of the wages for a registered disabled person for three years. I was the applicant who said they would employ a disabled person. The interview board asked me how I expected a disabled person to manoeuvre a wheelchair around the workshop floor. They were stunned when I pointed out that not all disabled people use wheelchairs. I used the example of a deaf or partially sighted person. Apparently the question had been used for years and I was the first person ever to challenge it. It opened my eyes to the prejudice that disabled people faced every day. I didn't get the job but the company did tell me that they did review their hiring policy after that, so hopefully I did achieve something.
Last weekend I saw a stage performance of To Kill A Mockingbird and one the actors is deaf and it was so refreshing to see a deaf actor playing a character that isn’t written as a deaf character. He used ASL and the other actors on stage spoke what he was signing and it didn’t take away from the performance at all! So great and good on the production company, director, and casting director for being inclusive in a show that has so much meaning!
Also the amount of times I see my particular disability (paralysed in a wheelchair due to spinal cord injury) used as a dramatic plot device only for the character to make a full miraculous recovery after just a few months really gets on my nerves. If you're going to exploit my disability for dramatic effect at least do a realistic job of it!!! X
been helping in Literature as well- Colin Creevy (TSG) and Clara (Heidi)
Right! Miraculous recovery is always a part of the plot. And neither of those are true examples, because Colin was, if anything, a victim of Manchurian syndrome by proxy, and it was never entirely stated what happened to Clara, but I think maybe she’d had an illness and never fully recovered? If physical therapy had been a thing she probably would’ve been a well years before meeting Heidi. But everyone just accepted that she was an invalid and that was that.
It is historically accurate at least that fresh air and plentiful nutritious food can work wonders for people who’ve been living without it.
@@PrincessofEllabur There's a new production of The Secret Garden that's threatening to come to Broadway and they've put a non-Disabled actor in the role of Archibald Craven AGAIN and I'm so angry :(
I recently finished watching the show Supernatural and there is a character who is deaf. The actress is actually deaf in real life and I just thought that was sooo cool. Not only because she was actually casted, but because it made the character feel that much real. It was very authentic. If a hearing person tried to imitate a deaf character, I feel like it would be… different. But yes, 100% agree with everything you have said
Watching her at a convention was amazing.
Shoshannah Stern is awesome. And I love that Eileen (the character) was no less badarse than any other hearing Hunter, but it was never something that was unrealistic. It was exactly what I would want as disabled representation.
Would be mockery if a hearing actor would act deaf or even worse would put on an exaggerated "deaf voice".
I also like how Eileen was written, her deafness was part of her but not the main thing about her especially when she came back. She was just another character that happened to have lost her hearing due to a monster attack as a child. Just like other hunters have other issues due to monsters.
I believe she also plays the deaf character (I forget the characters name) in family guy, so she does voice acting too, despite being deaf.
Yess!! Supernatural is my all time favorite show!!
What happened to you with the role _based on you_ truly left me speechless, how deeply rude and cruel that is of them to have done. I think it at least in part comes from what happens when we treat public figures not as people, but as content, characters that are free to be taken and molded however we want.
I love that you are spreading awareness about this, Molly! As an autistic woman, I often feel the media lacks an adequate portrayal of my experiences or presents them in a way that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Please using your voice on this platform to keep speaking for all of us who aren’t always heard! Thank you! Btw In the Dark would have been amazing with you as the star.. I immediately thought of you when it came out, but turned it off because it wasn’t played by a blind actress and now I definitely won’t be watching. I will just keep coming back to your channel for authentic representation!
It is great she is spreading awareness because im also autistic and they never portray us correct in anything
Exactly! Sia's short film "Music" was horrific, don't get me started
I am autistic with ADHD and albinism (albino-ism) and I am at the point that I am like just don't try to represent me because you are doing more harm than good. There is YET another movie coming out called "In The Fire" with an autistic kid who is displayed as rather demon-like till an American Psychiatrist comes down to Columbia and diagnoses him with Autism and then cures him. The Psychiatrist is played by Amber Heard which is so problematic anyways, but I digress. Autism isn't something that can be cured, and I was never a demon and I still am not a demon.
All of the TV shows that depict autism makes us out to be "idiot savants" and it pisses me off. They portray us as not being able to be successful in life, having learning disabilities, and so on and so forth. I have an IQ equal to Einstien and I really haven't met another autistic who isn't extremely smart but wasn't given the right tools to succeed. The school systems treat us like we are dumb because they teach from the bottom up instead of the top down. We are the researchers, the creators, the thinkers, and the neurotypicals are the doers. STOP making us out to be the broken and the stupid and only have one interest. I am monotropic so I focus on one thing at a time, but I have multiple interests I just don't poly focus or polytropic thinking. I have the same problems with the albinism community as we are depicted as evil magickal beasts. This is dangerous as we are still being murdered in some countries around the world for supposedly being magical!
Everything's gonna be okay was the first series I've ever seen where the autististic person was well represented. Josh Thomas found out he was on the spectrum while making it, and that is amazing to me :) His earlier work "please like me" is amazing too because he playes himself so it is an autistic character not even ment to be written that way, which makes him very accurate.
You might wanna check out "Everything's gonna be okay". I got it recommended to me by my fellow people with autism when I was at my wit's end about the horrible representation of autism in media. They have actual good autism representation played by characters who actually do have autism (and some other representation like both white and bipoc LGBT representation, service dog representation, and other disability representation). It was so great to see.
I totally agree molly! Representation means so much, nearly 20% of people are disabled, yet make up nowhere near that percentage of characters. Usually when these characters are brought up it’s to play into untrue stereotypes, or show us as being less than, or one dimensional.
Yes! I was stupidly excited when we started watching raising Dion with our middle child and sammi Haney was one of the main characters. I hadn’t heard of her until the show, but the questions started flowing from my 7 year old. It was awesome to not only see a female so young have such a strong role, but one who represents her community so incredibly well! We need more of this!!!!
Esperanza was such a great character, loved her! Hard to believe this was her first (and only so far) role. Such a shame this cute series has been cancelled. Maybe the kids got too grown up too quickly?
A recent show that handled this really well is Hawkeye - Echo being played by a Deaf actress, Alaqua Cox, and adding the Hard of Hearing storyline to Clint with Jeremy Renner also being HOH was so awesome to see as a disabled person and someone who works in the Deaf community
Also, the way they addressed disability too was great - I absolutely loved when Echo told Clint that he relied too much on technology!
Also a character in Eternals was deaf and played by a deaf person.
@The Name Thing Is Not Happening TH-cam I also liked that because my mom is hard of hearing and while there are definitely a lot of times where people treat her badly because of it she still has the choice to tell people about her issue or not. Less so now because her hearing has definitely gotten worse but when she was younger unless you knew what to look for you wouldn't have know because she hid it so well.
She was never discriminated against at work because of this for example, she had that choice many people who are deaf aren't given.
Also to clarify my mom definitely would need hearing aids and has needed them for decades but never got them. Because that would have visibly made her different so she instead decided she would rather just struggle through life instead of getting the aid she needs. That in itself makes me incredibly sad and mad for her. I grew up helping her all the time and covering for her when needed but it really shouldn't have to be that way. She acquired that hearing loss due to an unsafe work environment so all of my siblings and I are hearing and not in any more or less danger of getting hearing loss than anyone else.
The thing I always hear (as a disabled person, from non-industry people - I'm also not in the industry) is that there are no big name actors with disabilities who can "bring in the money". Do they not realize that the opportunity they have then is to CREATE a big name?! To give someone that chance? Excellent video.
Molly has mentioned more than once that she has made it to final two or very close to getting a role. It's frustrating to think she would have gotten them if she wasn't blind. I hope one day she will get a role and we can all see her talent and she will live out her dream as an actress.
Remember Public Service Announcements? We used to have them when I was a kid. I'd love to see some about how to help us.
Examples:
1. How to sighted-guide a blind person. And encourage Blind ppl to share this information
2. More electronic doors! Less heavy doors!
3. Teach ways to help disabled ppl in schools such as Medical and Architecture.
Yes PSAs for sighted-guiding! I learned this through Molly’s channel and it seems so beneficial for any type of assisted guidance from a sighted person. Not just to a blind person but any person with disability that may want help.
Switched At Birth was one of the first shows I saw with deaf representation, and it’s still one of my favorite shows. There were many deaf actors a part of this such as Katie Leclerc, Sean Berdy, and Ryan Lane.
I also ADORE this show. but the main actress who played Daphne isn't deaf, she's HoH which normally, yeah, fine. but she put on a deaf accent for the show and yeah, that's not good is it? you can watch the interviews with her where she speaks without it but she puts it in for the show and idk, just makes me feel icky. On the other had tho, I LOVE Sean Berdy and Marlee Marlin, they are amazing actors and seeing Marlee again in CODA 😘👌
@@MaeTheGhost HoH gang ftw 😅, would feel so weird right?! Im British so never learned any ASL so I can't speak for it myself but from what I've heard, she learned a little in high school but knew little when she was hired, was taught by ASL coaches who (I can't confirm this) apparently were Hearing also. So yeah, the ASL is bad in the first few seasons at the very least. Something else that gets me is the portrayal of lip-reading. Daphne has like superhuman lip reading skills and can follow a lot of convos her family are making and I'm sure you can agree with me when I say that following complex lip reading situations is HAAAARD. like I understand 30-40% hard. I could go on lol, as I said I live the show but for HoH/Deaf representation? it's not amazing, it touches on some good subjects but that's about it
@@MaeTheGhost I do indeed adore the couple of actual Deaf characters they have. Weirdly only one adult despite the fact we meet them at a school for deaf quite often...where are the deaf teachers?! Sean is an amazing actor and is also Deaf like born Deaf, uses an interpreter for interviews Deaf. The perfect person to hire for the job really. Grew up speaking ASL, emmerced in Deaf culture, amazing actor and fits the criteria for the role. How hard can it honestly be to find more people like him and Marlee (I also forgot about the Emmet's dad in this, he is indeed another Deaf adult). CODA did it (not that that's a perfect film either)... Hollywood will get there one day I hope
Marlee Matlin is one of the deaf moms in the show and she's actually deaf in real life and she's played a hearing person in a movie before which I think is amazing!
YES that show made me learn asl, i loved it
There was an episode of Dr. Who that had an actress on it who was blind, and she played a young blind woman. I can’t remember her name, but she was great. I’m so in agreement for more representation of disabled actors and actresses.
her name is Ellie Wallwork.
Hi. You’re talking about my friend, the lovely Ellie Walwork
Doctor Who also had two episodes (two-part storyline) with a deaf character played by a deaf actress. :)
omg, i was just about to mention that episode. doctor who tends to be good at authentic representation. of course that's not always the case, for example, currently there's 2 queer characters played by two (assumed) straight woman, however even then, the writer of the romance was a queer woman so one could argue that despite the actors not being queer, it is still authentic representation.
I recently watched this episode. Her dad played her good tho
I’ve written and posted my own videos on this topic. It’s so frustrating. Knowing as a kid I couldn’t do anything I wanted was an eye opener. Wasn’t because I wasn’t talented enough, it’s because if I want for an audition I would be LAUGHED out of the room. My facial difference seems to give people permission to laugh at me and such. I hope one day it changes but I’m not confident.
I'm a blind actress and I'm so thankful for you sharing this topic with your much bigger following than me! In the Dark was particularly painful because by the time I heard about the show, it was coming out. They obviously didn't try that hard to find us or I would've gotten to audition. To hear that it was based on your life and they still picked a blind actor just further confirms they're lying about their intentions. I work with a private coach and attend multiple classes a week sometimes, I have an agent and a manager and I still almost never see castings. Here's hoping for more opportunities in the nearest of near futures!
Fun fact: I actually started following you on TH-cam and later Instagram after a character on "This Is Us" was born with visual impairment.
(If you are unfamiliar, the show jumps between time periods, and I think they've had about 5 different visually impaired actors playing the character.)
The adult version is played by Blake Stadnik (he's on Instagram), who has Stargardt's, which I learned was your "sister disease."
The toddler version, Johnny Kincaid, who i also follow on Instagram, has ocular albinism.
I myself had 4 strabismus surgeries, the last one being in my early 20s (I'm 38.). I have peripheral vision loss from that, and my muscles are still weak with certain movements.
I was glaucoma suspect for a while, but the ophthalmologist concluded it was from the surgeries and having small optic cups.
Thank you for opening up a whole new world to me. I have spina bifida and depression as well, and YOU frequently make me feel so seen!
Johnny Kincaid is so cute and a great actor too
Are you blind
I spent 3 years training to go into media only to realise that a wheelchair user is never gonna be allowed to operate a tv camera. So i spent another year busting my ass to get a masters in journalism. Still wasn't enough even organisations ive spent 5years volunteering with turned me down. Now im saving £2500 (British Pounds) to do a course online just to give me a chance of qualifying to do a teaching degree. My plan is now to become an english, media and drama teacher in high-school and maybe eventually work toward lecturing.
I get such joy seeing actual disabled actors playing disabled characters. Titans had Barbara gordon actually in a wheelchair played by a wheelchair user and she even got a fight scene.
My dream and i really want it to come true is to see a disabled power ranger. I grew up watching the show as a kid, it is a part of who i am. Even at soon to be 25 years of age i still watch the show because it gives me the joy i had as a kid and lets me escape all the crap i constantly see in the world. The only thing is theres yet to be a disabled character on the show. Weve had our first openly gay character but still no disabled power ranger 😟.
I do think there are some very niche instances were an abled bodied actor playing a disabled role is ok. For example if a character in a series suffers an accident or is blown up etc then has to use a chair or whatever im ok with that. The other is superhero characters like daredevil, i love the actor who plays matt murdoch but i hate the awful stereotyping they do of the characters blindness. The only counter argument is that with improvements in the technology theres no reason a blind actor couldn't play the character for the non fight scenes and dialogue scenes even wearing the suit then use cgi to replace a stunt double for the action scenes.
I just wish society would wake the hell up, and let us be apart of the fun and enjoyment instead of being relegated to the side as they pat our head and call us 'special' 🤢.
I dont know if change will ever come in all honesty ive had to stop asking that question as i get really depressed sometimes dwelling on just how shit society treats us. But im grateful to have people like you molly. You helped me find the social model and ineffect saved my life allowing to become who i am today. I hope to meet you one day to thank you in person much love and take care ♥️ p.s. I think you do have sex appeal 😃 your one of many incredible disabled models/influencers telling the world we can be disabled and sexy. Your the reason why i wear my unique culturally dysfunctional style of outfits as i learned from you to love myself whatever way i look or dress first. ♥️
As someone who wants to become a producer, specifically when it comes to writing, it blows my mind that anyone making the story wouldn't want their disabled characters being played by an authentic role, by someone who can understand, empathize, bring knowledge, and add so much more to the character than an able-bodied person could. It would add so much more to the story in a thematic pov, but also as you mention in getting more representation out there for disabled people. I wish in the future if I do end up going into my desired industry that I can change it for the better and help you get the recognition that is deserved.
It is so encouraging to me to see that there are future producers like you out there! As a Disabled actor, thank you!!
i totally agree. i love what breaking bad did with RJ Mitte’s character. his disability isn’t the main focus of the character or the show. it’s honestly only spoken about out loud a small handful of times. it’s something that just *is* and feels natural and realistic.
Yes! And he is an actually-Disabled actor. :) It blows my mind how consistently Disabled actors hit it out of the park every single time and yet people still don't want to cast us. :(
I agree with you 100%. The only time I can possibly see there maybe being an exception is if part of the storyline is the character being seen before AND after the incident that causes the disability. Like in the movie about Stephen Hawking, who we saw go from completely able-bodied to wheelchair bound.
Obviously, if a character is deaf/blind or has their "obvious" disability for most or the whole timeline, get an actor with the same abilities! Like in "A Quiet Place," Jon Krasinski casted a deaf girl for his deaf daughter. It was awesome!
Marlee Martin had to discourage the creators of CODA about hiring able-bodied people to play her deaf husband and deaf son.
I don't think wheel chair users like the phrase "wheel chair bound"?
@@harveyabel1354 you're probably right. I just couldn't think of better phrasing in the moment
@@acmiller22 full-time wheelchair user is a good alternative I think
In that case they should still at least have the “after” actor be a real Disabled person.
Love that your doing this. I find it so frustrating as person even who has epilepsy, because society portrays it mostly has grandmal seizures rather than making it more knowledgeable as to being over 40 different types of seizures. So then I feel like I’m having the same conversation with every person about how there is actually a lot more to epilepsy than falling on the ground and not all of us do. And it’s sad society makes it seem like us with chronic illnesses and or hearing loss or any other disability aren’t capable of real live so then people are like scared or like as if we are fragile. I love so many actresses out there who have done so much such as all the Deaf actresses and actors in switch at birth. I am always searching for more
I don't understand why casting would think someone who hasn't lived those experiences could play the part better. The only thing I personally can compare it to is a straight actor playing a gay role. 20 or so years ago before LGBTQ people were as accepted, it was almost seen as them being brave to take on such a role. You know what is brave, an actual member of that community willing to put a true part of themselves into that character. As far as people with disabilities, in my opinion, part of the issue could be production assuming it will cost them money and or time to make accommodations for the actor.
I think you’ve really got it with you last point. (And the rest before, but the last point is the one I came to the comments thinking about specifically). If you hire an actually disabled actor, you have to do the work and pay any associated costs to actually accommodate them. Whereas if you hire an able actor, nothing on set has to change and no extra effort has to be made, no extra costs time or otherwise have to be paid. And I think not wanting to do that work is for sure part of it.
ETA: “It” being why disabled actors are passed over for abled actors when casting characters that have a given disability.
Your last point of costing more time and/or money is what I believe is the main factor. Let's use a blind person for example, as this is on Molly's video. They most likely assume that they will need to spend extra time positioning the actor/actress in the proper spot and then try to have their face looking in the correct direction. Now I'm not saying this will be the case for all blind actors/actresses, but this is most likely their fear. In TV and film, time is money.
@@eleanoreliz and that’s also why eg on-screen wheelchairs often aren’t manoeuvrable… and they somehow appear in a room with no access… because the actors just step in and out of them between takes rather than accurately embodying the experience of actually using a wheelchair. And I’m sure the same applies to every other disability. One thing I notice is when sighted people play blind characters they never ever look at the person they’re speaking to, which some blind people don’t particularly try to do, but it’s not as universal as media portrays it. I’m sure there’s much more besides.
Thank you, Molly. I had a... I guess falling out with a girl I considered one of my best friends and I was always wondering why, like if I was just too sensitive to what she was saying. But you talking about this TikTok really put into perspective what this girl was thinking about me and I know now that I'm not being sensitive, that I do have the right to be upset with her (because she's known me pretty much her whole life, so it's not really her opinion of me since she knew what I could do and what I struggle with, yet... She said what she did that day)
Important discussion Molly. Appreciate you explaining your perspectives advocating for what matters is ongoing
I'm legally blind, and have been my entire life, I used to do theatre however I kept on being turned down for roles because they weren't unsure if I could walk safely, or project emotions good enough to fit the role. I stopped auditioning because I felt what was the point.
The one show that I loved was Into the Dark, once my mom told me that the blind character is played by a sighted actor I immediately had a jaded feeling about the show. I don’t know if this is one of the shows that Molly auditioned for but I know she would have been amazing in the role.
I hope this comment does not get deleted or blocked because I'm not at all saying anything negative, and I respect Molly's wish that nothing be negative said. I'm super late as I just watch this video. But the show you named in this comment is actually based off of Molly's story. This is public knowledge. Just in case you didn't know. I have not watched it (because I personally can't stand watching nondisabled actors and actresses playing disabled characters) but I know plenty of people who enjoyed the series. It just makes me incredibly sad though that so many disabled people who are super talented don't even get a chance. We definitely need better representation. Years ago, I was very good friends with a blind voiceover actress. Not only was she an incredible human being, she was super talented and her biggest dream was to be on stage. She ultimately decided that she would have a better chance acting was just her voice. I saw her go to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of auditions, only to be turned down, or to have certain accommodations denied because she was blind. I also saw how fellow actors and actresses excluded her, yet she endured it with grace and kindness, publicly smiled and put on a good face, and then came home and broke down in tears.
Thank you so much for this. I've been struggling so much in theatre ever since I've opened up about my disabilities. I went from getting main roles and/or dance captain, to getting either not cast at all or the smallest no name part in the entire musical. I wish I could start my own company just for disabled people.
You should start it!! 💗
@@stelasulzdorf I wish I could. I have no idea what I'm doing/don't have the funds. 😅 Maybe one day though
That sounds very sad and unfair. If you got other roles before, don't the people in the theatre even know already that you can do more?
I understand your feelingss. 20 years ago, I had the same feeling about straight people playing gay characters. Out gay and lesbian actors couldn't get work because they came out. But a straight person was paid lots of money to play a gay character. These day, there are so many roles offered to glbt actor/actresses, it doesn't bother me as much. But I feel you.
Every time I see able bodied actors playing disabled characters they really do a terrible job. 99% of the time they are doing things that no one with that disability would ever do or say. When I see disabled actors playing disabled characters they do such an amazing job. It is a huge huge difference in the portrayal. It's done accurately. Every time. This is important. Because it will affect disabled people in real life when we are shown accurately in media.
YES!! This is so true!
Representation is so incredibly important. I have been buying more books with non-verbal AAC speaking main characters. Since I have been buy books with AAC representation I have seen a difference in my students and they have quickly become some of the favorite books.
I definitely agree that there's a level of authenticity that comes with someone playing a disability they have- the way a blind person moves in the world is just slightly different, the way you reach for a glass, the way you respond to a surprising sound, you jsut have a different set of instincts that someone who relies on sight and even the best actor would only be doing an imitation and a bad imitation can do more harm than good.
There's a lot of 'blind' characters with supernaturally good other senses which mean they basically just act like they can see, it always felt like a bit of a cop out to me, like you're just giving them the label without the actual meaning of what it is to be blind.
Also about representation- Millicent Simmonds never thought she'd be an actor because she never saw people like her as actors, she only auditioned for her first role as a favour to her teacher and then she got the role. If that teacher and that first production hadn't believed in her she might never have gone to apply for more roles and we'd all be missing on her as Regan in the Quiet Place! Even from a selfish point of view representation is important- think how many incredible people we miss out on because they don't see themselves there and never apply 😭
Great video, i hadnt thought of it from this perspective before.
The idea of disability being presented to children is a good one with one flaw in your plan, parents. Cerrie Burnell was a childrens TV presenter here in Britain but when she started she got a lot of complaints about how awkward it is for the parents to discuss disability to their children who they only want to show everything as perfect, as they view their kids. She is a congenital amputee with no lower right arm.
In bird box the safest place was an old blind school because the thing “killing/ causing people to kill themselves” was something seen… I think it would have been a lot better had they had a blind guide show them how to navigate the world but instead they were stumbling all throughout the movie. There are so many things that “disabled” people can do better than others and I think it’s important to represent the authentic things that a disabled person goes through in there day to day life
Makes me think of Coda and how absolutely deserving they were of best film for the oscars.
Would really like to see more chronically ill representation in the media I love, the best I've gotten in the marvel universe is morbius which isn't terrible representation, but doesn't last in the movie and the entire focus is on curing people and I understand why but I'm just saying some chronically ill or disabled characters would be really nice.
This is so true!! I'm so bummed they haven't done this with 'Moulin Rouge'. Like, there's literally a chronically ill character right there who would be such good representation and yet they keep casting her with non-Disabled actors. Not to mention never casting any visibly-Disabled actors as Toulouse-Lautrec, let alone actors with dwarfism. >:(
What gets grossly overlooked is the impact of inaccurate and even accurate representation on the minds and hearts of those with disabilities and the messages they receive about themselves and there place in the world.
I've only seen myself accurately played in movies and tv twice.
Both times the performance was done by actors without disabilities upon following them realizing it was fake I was crushed. Evidently it's not that difficult to "play" a
wheelchair user but the fallout is being/feeling mimicked/mocked.
Disabled people do follow those that represent them. If that person isn't truly disabled and that's discovered later it hurts!
The movie CODA really changed my thoughts about this topic. I loved that movie so so much!
Yes so happy it won the Oscar this year for best picture!
You’re completely correct! They probably see working with a disable person as a burden. As more work for them. It’s really sad and I’m so sorry that happened to you!
I have a sticker on my journal that says, "Representation Matters."
I really like seeing disabled actors just show in a tv show or movie where the show is not about the character being disabled. For instance: A show about the White House and a woman in a wheelchair shows up in a group of, say Senator, or a group of aides.
I saw a movie about a dissabled woman. The person who directed the movie etc, is also the woman in the movie. Somewhere in a interview she says, I thought about looking for a dissabled woman, but I decided not to. Such a shame.
I’m a writer, and for a long time I’ve wanted to include a character with a disability ( blind or deaf ). But I do not have either of those disabilities, and I don’t know if it’s right for me to write them, nor do I want to take the voice away from a disabled author. Thoughts? Advice?
I dont think its wrong of you to include them, but if you want perspective look into consulting with a person who has the disability. They want to be represented, just in an accurate way that also doesnt look down on them.
TV/Movie as well as books tend to ignore mobility disabilites as well. I have mobility disabilities as well as I am hard of hearing. I would love to see disabled charatcter's represented in books. I agree with the other commenter consult with people who have the disability that you want to represent.
Write your stories, but get a sensitivity reader - and be prepared to change a pivotal action if it gets flagged by the sensitivity readers. If you commit to putting the work into making it accurately reflect the disability, then go right ahead.
The fact that you lost out on a role, written based on you, to a sighted person is disgusting! 🤢
I was shook! They were basically saying “we don’t think you are good enough to play yourself”. Like wow
And then they asked her to consult them on how a sighted person can play HER! the audacity!
I’ll never understand why they hire someone who doesn’t use a mobility aid to play a character with a mobility aid. Wouldn’t the person who actually uses it on a daily basis be 1000x better at using it on-screen?
Yes! I would also imagine that it would be so meaningful for a disabled kid to be able to identify with a successful disabled actor and have them as a role model! Even able bodied kids should be able to say "i love that actress, she was in my favorite show!" and it just happens to be a disabled person.
The audacity of In The Dark to so blatantly base the character on you and then pass you for the role after auditioning you is just awful. That's just lazy on behalf of their writers to not even change a single thing; they didn't write a character they just stole your life story
Well; said, Molly! Man,oh man - the number of films and TV shows I've seen where an able person is playing a disabled character! From Deaf, to Blind, to mentally challenged, to ASD, to wheelchair user.....and on and on and on! I want to see Molly play a Blind character!
I emphatically agree! Some notable disabled actors that I have appreciated are Robert David Hall, who played Dr. Robbins on CSI, Crime Scene Investigation and Daryl Mitchell, who played Patton Plame on NCIS, New Orleans. One used crutches and one in a wheelchair, and the disability almost never came up. Also love Cole Sibus as Ansel Parios on Stumptown. Amazing actor with Down's Syndrome and a great role. Broke my heart then the show was cancelled due to COVID.
Just wanted to say I have such admiration for you Molly and love the meaning and passion you put behind everything you upload
The guy who played Walter White Jr is a person with cerebral palsy who aslo has it, and it made the character more authentic and relatable to those who has it as well.
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Molly! And thank you for sharing your experience. Representation means a lot, I think people sometimes don't realize how much we unknowingly learn from movies, shows... In my opinion only people who actually have the condition that is the character supposed to have can portray the role properly (for example if there's a visible skin difference it will be real and not work of maskers, if it affects movement it's going to be real and not faked etc. and if there's something ableist or inaccurate in the script they can speak up and make it change) and I don't get why it's acceptable to say that some able-bodied actor will portray the condition better than someone who lives with the condition... it's really like in the old days as you said when men played women. I think that for example the fact that there aren't many disabled characters in media leaves people thinking that disabilities are rare and then it fuels their need to fakeclaim and be suspicious towards real life people with disabilities... many things need to change. Plus it's really important for disabled kids and adults to see themselves properly represented and feeling seen and heard too!
Breaking Bad has a person with CP and the show isn’t about him having CP. I was pleasantly surprised to see that representation.
This is the same scenario in theatre. I’m a disabled theatre actress, and it’s so hard to get a role, and I’ve been told since I was in high school, that it’s not “just bc of my disability” that I wasn’t casted in one of the main roles, “it was bc I wasn’t talented enough.” But I knew it was bc of my disability. Most of the time, it disabled ppl ARE casted in a show, it’s usually in the ensemble, not in the main cast, which discourages upcoming actors who just happen to be disabled.
Hi Molly! Big fan of yours. My name is Frankie, and I am 25 years old. Your videos, especially this one, have profoundly inspired and compelled me to share with you my journey as an disabled creator.
I was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. For many years of my life, I have been active in autism and disability rights and the fight against ableism. Unfortunately, though, when one thinks of activism and social justice, it’s not very popular to think about autism rights or even disability rights as a whole, especially given the unfortunate state of race relations, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights in America, among other things.
The media outlets we rely on aren’t doing very much to support disabled and autistic people like myself. We’re still portrayed hurtfully in the films and television we consume on a regular basis, and the most we usually get in the news is a quick shout out to some cutesy video on TH-cam.
Most communities are making leaps and bounds in progress in terms of educating people on the struggles they face... but what about us? Where's the happy ending of the autistic and disabled individual? Where is the respectful, diverse and creative representation in our mainstream media? The endless social media posts and debates? The political discussions?
My lifelong passion for autism and disability rights heavily inspired me to create my own cartoon characters in 2018 called The Puzzle Piece Kids, centered on three young kids who are best friends and have their own rock band together. One of the main characters, a young boy named Robby Edmonds, is on the autism spectrum. Like myself, he has coping mechanisms he uses to deal with stress or fear, like patting his knees or tapping his foot to a certain beat or humming a melody to himself. The reason for this is due to my strong desire to portray autism as I experienced it for years.
Furthermore, if were to get The Puzzle Piece Kids animated, Robby would only ever be voiced by an autistic child actor, because that's what Robby is. He’s an AUTISTIC CHILD. Wouldn’t it be so profound if other autistic kids heard and saw not only the character, they heard and saw themselves? That just feels like common sense.
And I'm SO tired of hearing “Oh it’s just normal for adults to voice kids!" Nonsense. The Peanuts specials used kids for kid characters and those are praised like the second coming of Jesus. It can be done if done right.
Matter of fact, all the characters that ARE children will probably be voiced by children. Yes it's harder, but that's a challenge I'm willing to take on if it means telling their stories in a respectful, authentic and non-disingenuous manner.
Thank you, Molly, for inspiring me and so many other people. Keep up the great work! 😊❤️
Can we all just confirm that “In the Dark” is the show that was based off of Molly…and that Molly would have made that show 10000% better….
Edit: Because Molly has retinitis pigmentosa, which "Murphy" had and it was filmed in Toronto, which Molly confirmed was the one she almost got. The things the character dealt with have nothing to do with Molly, I just believe Molly would have added so much more personality to the show.
I was about to ask if this was the show.
@UCr5w-SNWAM4w2MCgAfpgTkQ exaxtly she has a guide dog but doesnt seem to connected to it. Molly was depressed but i dont think she was being drunk all the time and stuff. So maybe we need to see more to see the connections?
@@lijntje266 the IMBD trivia page says the main woman in that show is based off of Molly.
Lol they based it off Molly but made her a depressed drunk? That's some creative license
@@fraggelrock9974 I was wondering that too. I'm like uh Molly wasn't acting like an alcoholic but alright.
I’m a visually impaired film and TV actress. Thanks so much for making this video.
Well said Molly right from the get go. I am not in the entertainment industry but I have graduated twice from college with honours in two fields, have applied to hundreds of jobs since the time first graduated college in 2017 and I have only got two interview even though I am over qualified for about 95% of the jobs I have applied for. I keep telling every one I know I would be willing to do almost anything at this point and in over 5 years I have not got a single job. Like I want to get out there into the workforce, I am very qualified to do so but because I am legally blind, I am not getting a chance even for interviews.
Completely agree w/ you its like the actor on the hulu tv show Superstore who is in a wheelchair isn't actually disabled, so many movies and tv show roles should have been given to those who actually have that disability & not some actor or actress pretending to play someone w/ a disability because it's not the same. Even just portrayals that can be better w/ the help from people like yourself in the community.
Honestly your jacket gives me Lizzie Mcguire vibes from the Lizzy Mcguire movie :PP
I feel like its so shitty && I would love to see more representation for this community, I would love to see it and it's horrible industries continue to not offer more representation for children, I mean it's not just representation, but normalizing such representation. It's lazy thinking of industries to say its more money or costs to do so.
This is so perfectly timed I’m actually writing my disatstion on this as I am autistic and have ADHD among others. And what I find so damaging is that for me to get and keep a job I have to mask. Which sadly is lucky that I can mask to be seen as neurotypical but I shouldn’t have to. And I am a musician but have studied acting and dance as well.
I feel like it should be allowed for able-bodied actors to play disabled characters, but it should not be the norm.
Explanation: there are disabilities that very rarely let someone be in a position where they could even work as an actor.
Then you have a situation where it's "easier we have no representation or we cast an able-bodied actor".
What I think should be done: search for actors who have that disability first and ONLY when you can't find someone, ask able-bodied people to audition (and find someone as an advisor!).
I’m an able bodied and agree with you 100%. My mom used to work with mentally handicapped adults all my life. We went to all the holiday parties with them. They were all wonderful people, most so sweet and caring. Her last 10 years of working she was teaching them how to work in the workplace. It made her proud to have them graduate out of her group to be able to work on there own and adventure out into the big open world for jobs at places like Toyota, Walmart, I think a couple even went on to do bigger things like become chefs. So no one should be turned down for anything until they have had their chance to show their true skills.
What a quality job you did on this pitch. Well done, positive, passionate. Uplifting. You cheerful delivery lifted my super sad day and yet you were identifying a difficult issue. Cast Molly directors and casting persons! She got what it takes!
I was trying to explain to someone why I feel offended when non albino actors put on makeup and powder to change their skin tone to look like mine and (in my experience always) play a derogatory role representing albinism then just hiring an albino and letting us play a role that isn't wrapped up in the albinism and representing it in such an awful way. We are shown to have evil intentions or superpowers. Why can't it just be a person who just so happens to have albinism but it not be the focal point of the role? My skin isn't white paint and white powder
Getting told "no" in the entertainment world as a disabled person is absolutely about ableism, not lack of talent. I walked off my high school dance team in 2010 because of disability discrimination, harassment, and coaches assuming they knew what was best for my body more than I did. They'd never even ask for my input. I was told I would never become a professional and that I was worthless as a dancer. Less than a year after graduating high school, I auditioned for a dancejob with a choreographer who didn't discriminate against disabled dancers and was hired. In my experience, these ableist attitudes are bred young, passed from instructors to students. The other students at my dance studio bullied me about being unable to do specific moves because of my disability. They didn't start saying awful things to me about it until after they heard a teacher say it to me. It was a learned concept. Not a single one of those ableist bullies earned their way to a professional dance job/career, neither by their merit nor their talent. They make you feel like nothing to discourage you from your dreams and therefore don't have to make a place for you in the industry. It is gatekeeping and ableism.
Thank you so much Molly. I really appreciate you sharing this message to people who may have not heard it before. I’ve had so many conversations with my nondisabled friends trying to explain this, so thank you for so eloquently putting these thoughts into a video!
Love ya, Molly thanks for sharing 😍 ! IMHO most actors are not going to forgo auditioning because 98% of them are not employed in the industry so they're going to try for any roles out there even ones that call for a disability. I was discouraged by a teacher in middle school from pursuing acting because of the terrible chances of even making it & it broke my heart because that was my dream since age 8 so I never did pursue it. The odds are against us all but nobody should be told not to pursue their dreams no matter what so keep auditioning Molly & all you actors but like they used to say don't give up your day job since you'll need it to survive!
It was a really great topic and I honestly still don’t understand why disabled roles are not played by disabled actors. Btw I would really love to see you playing a blind character one day in💛
I absolutely hate that the show In the Dark hass the blind main character simultaneously poor, while she also takes ubers frequently. As if such an accomidation is that affordable that its a reliable solution.
It’s interesting though that you said “you don’t have to be an influencer in real life, to play an influencer. That’s what acting is”
Isn’t that the same as saying, you don’t have to be blind in real life, to play a blind character.
But I also think it’s important for there to be more disabled actors in the media. It would be great to see more disabled actors play able bodied roles. Because you don’t have to be able bodied, to play an able bodied character.
@Dan Sgambelluri well yes it’d be great to see them get any roles at all! But I mean in an ideal world, disabled actors could play able bodied roles, and able bodied actors could play disabled bodied roles, and it would all just be based on talent. Unfortunately it isn’t , but someday it will be 😊
As a screenwriter, thank you for making the statement that every show or movie should have a disabled character. Im going to use that in every future screenplay!
Also, I agree that children's media should have disabled characters since they're impressionable. I might not have been so scared of my uncle who had a stroke and was in a wheelchair as a young child if I was exposed to that more often in my media.
Preferably more than one disabled character, unless it’s a very small cast. Don’t be afraid to write characters who just happen to be disabled, whether that’s mobility, vision or hearing impairment, or neurodivergence.
I’m a burn survivor and I have a genetic disorder, Nerofibromatosis type 1. Growing up there was never anyone with my disorder in the media. Shows didn’t have many characters that were burn survivor’s either.
Thank you for making this video Molly and bringing awareness to an ongoing issue in the entertainment industry. 💗 Marlee Matlin is a phenomenal deaf actress who starred in the film “The East” amongst some other powerful movies. But I agree with you completely that the entertainment industry should hire people with disabilities to play those roles in film, TV, commercials, etc. instead of having able bodied people playing those roles. And I too wanted to be an actress as a child and gave up on that dream as a teenager because of the discrimination in the industry. 💔
Not pertaining to actors in a show necessarily, but have you seen that clip of the blind chef who appeared on MasterChef and won?? It was amazing to see! There’s a great clip on TH-cam of Gordon Ramsay describing the apple pie she made using other senses (crispy crust, smells delicious, etc). It was a great moment for TV. Her name is Christine Hà
Totally agree with this! I have several disabilities including RP and I think we should have more disabled actors in general not just for disabled roles. Having said that I think only disabled people should be allowed to play disabled roles.
Literally the only exception in my opinion is if the character is abled for a significant part of the story and is _recently_ disabled for the rest of it. If the character is disabled from the start, only an actor with approximately the same disability can nail the character. Like, do you want to spend a lot of your valuable rehearsal time getting a fully ambulatory person used to moving around in a wheelchair, or do you want someone who can go straight to rehearsing the actual script? A sighted person who is temporarily deprived of their vision isn’t going to move around like someone who has been blind for a long time, and can therefore only portray a _recently_ blinded character with any degree of accuracy. A non-autistic actor probably won’t even notice how stereotypical the autistic character is written, never mind correct it.
I'm watching Molly Burke while sick. Bad idea for one reason and one reason only: EMOTIONS. Molly's so sweet it makes me cry tears if every emotion
Here! Here! I don't use the phrase "able-bodied" very often anymore. I like to use "non-disabled." Because pretty much anyone at anytime can be temporarily or permanently disabled at any point in their lives, especially as one gets older. I'm am advocate for people who identify as having a disability. We like to say, "you're just not disabled yet." I love your videos Molly. You have opened my mind so much. I work in a government job and we finally offered a selective box of having a disability for new hires. This is similar to checking a box for military veterans. It's a hiring preferential. We are also presenting our websites, new hire materials, including job testing, for the public to see in order to use our ideas for their private companies. We have a Disability Affinity Team, which I am a lead for, to provide education for staff and leadership, as well as support for those with disabilities. I have brought up your name and channel multiple times to my superiors. I have learned so much from you and I always look forward to your posts, difficult or fun, no matter what. We all need to learn.
Hey Molly, I totally agree with you that disabled actors should play disabled roles. After coda won best picture at the Oscars this year, I hope that things get better. I dislike most movies with blind roles, because sided actors tend to perpetuate misinformation about blindness. I also agree that blind people should play blind roles, because they live it like you and die. Keep up the excellent informational videos.
I’m always so conflicted because in some cases it’s really exciting to see my disabilities portrayed in media even if it’s by an able-bodied actor or there are in-accuracies in the representation because at least it’s something! But of course I’m always longing for more accurate portrayals and for actual disabled actors to be in those roles. It’s just all around sad and unfortunate and frustrating.
Like for example Martin Freeman in Ode To Joy, he plays a character with cataplexy (a symptom of narcolepsy) and though it’s not a super accurate depiction, and he’s himself doesn’t have narcolepsy it was still super exciting to see because I’ve never heard of any other instance of narcolepsy let alone cataplexy being portrayed in media in even a remotely accurate way. For a long time I didn’t even know that what I was experiencing was cataplexy because I’d never heard of it, seen it, I couldn’t even find it on google! But now there’s a movie that shows some aspects of what living with narcolepsy is like and shows how cataplexy can be and now people can see that and look it up and learn something new and maybe even recognize the symptoms in themselves and get tested! Which is amazing!!
But of course… man I wish it was more accurate and it would have been so cool to see an actual narcoleptic actor play the character…
I have to say, I'm a severely mentally disabled person who can't do normal jobs. As I try to push into options that would work for me (content creator, voice acting, ect) People instantly say I am just trying to take an easy way out. I was literally told by a psychiatrist, I can't work with the public, I can't work well with coworkers, or with management. I am pursuing social security disability but like Molly said I don't want to rely solely on it....
Also, more assistance/service dogs in disabled media. I've never seen an assistance dog in media. We need working assistance dogs in media with the actor being their disabled handler.
And ideally not a guide dog - because most info about assistance dogs/service dogs are guide dogs. It's why some shops have illegal 'guide dogs only' policies. It being another type of SD/AD would raise a lot of awareness that they're not the only type. And ideally not a typical breed (lab/golden retriever/ German shepherd) A small assistance dog would be incredible as small dog SD handlers are discriminated against a lot more (again due to lack of understanding about all the types of SD's.
They can do it - my dog Sable has worked on a film set before (not with me working or acting) and did amazing and she was a teenager still in training.
i totally agree. i am a professional actor in film. i am invisibly disabled so i have the privilege of auditioning for “able bodied” roles. even being disabled, disabled is such an umbrella term. i will not audition for any blind, deaf, mobility aid i don’t use, etc roles because there aren’t enough for those that don’t have my same privilege within my community
I completely agree. The actor on this is us that plays a blind character is actually blind in real life, and I recently watched CODA and really appreciate that the characters are actually played by deaf actors
I'd like to nominate Javier Botet as a talented disabled actor! He specialises in SFX and has done amazing roles in numerous headlining titles such as the new IT movies, Crimson Peak, Slenderman and Pan's Labrynth.
Javier has Marfan Syndrome which is part of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome family (I am also part of the Zebra herd! 🦓) and he uses his physical differences to his advantage to create amazing characters and bring life to them in ways that "typical" actors are not capable of; Living with a disability does not have to be considered a "negative" in the workplace, for example, able-bodied actors would struggle to produce similar results without considerable effort altering their performances with both physical and digital special effects.
Let's celebrate our differences together! 😊💖
Your story being turned into a show is similar to a comedian who wrote a show and they were like okay who should we hire to play it. HIM! HIM! He was horrified it was even up for debate. He has Cerebral Palsy. It's on Netflix, called Special. In his case, it's an active part of the show. But in NCIS: New Orleans one of the characters is in a wheelchair (in real life) and on the show and he's just a super IT nerd. In NCIS the original, the lead doctor uses a cane and we learn seasons in that he's an amputee (in real life.) It is so true that characters are best played by people who have disabilities. There are so many nuances writers could miss, stage crew could miss, that show ignorance to us viewers who know the daily life battles.
I love the 5-days-later sassy Molly! I'm hoping media to normalise and show disability as part of the characters. Representation matters!
I tend to agree with you. As someone with numerous disabilities, I think that only someone with a certain disability can play the part correctly. I had to retire almost one year ago at the age of 53 because of my disabilities. I am very hard of hearing (I have less than 5% of my hearing left in my right ear and just over 40% of my hearing left in my left ear). I wear bifocals at this point, and I am at the point that I cannot read without them. I also have Scoliosis which is advanced to the point that I cannot stand up for very long periods at a time. I have recently started my own TH-cam channel (I am posting this message using that channel account), which is still very small, but I have hopes that it can become bigger in the future. In one video I share my major bullying story from when I was around 12 years old and talk about the fact that I attempted suicide in my late teens because of what I went through. I am a big fan of your TH-cam channel and I hope you have a great future.
This is one of the topics I'm really passionate about! I'm excited to hear your take. I'm still really upset that SIA cast someone not on the autism spectrum to play someone who was! Love you molly💜
I am still very upset about the whole thing. The absolute dismissal and gaslighting Sia did to the autism community is appaling. I can't even listen to her songs without being mad. To think that they "tried" to hire an autistic actress but provided an unsafe environment for them and just went "oh welp let's not make any acommodations and instead just replace her with Sia's favourite puppet" And they consulted Autism speak$ aka the "let's encourage bleach enema's, shock therapy, abusive Aba and put all our founding into eradicating autism foundation" arrrghhh
Can't you sue that show that admitted stole your story as like copyright?
or at least sue the creator.. because she even has a wittiness her mom
I think it’s one thing when you’re talking live theater, especially local, where your pool of actors to choose from is so limited, but when it’s a T.V. series or movie, I don’t understand it.
Thanks for the upload Molly 💜💜💜 I have severe Bipolar 1 disorder and I am happy that you are speaking up for all the disabled community!!! 💜💜💜
I hope you’re not talking about In the Dark - I thought that the main character was very unlikeable! Whereas you are the opposite.
Not a physical disability, but this is one thing I do love about Criminal Minds. Spencer Reid is neurodivergent and although its a big part of his character, it isn't his entire storyline. We NEED more disability in media, kids seeing it in their shows and characters they love will help to normalize it so much.
So I mixed feelings on this. The whole point of acting is to be someone you are not. Whether your character is deaf, blind, paralyzed, mentally ill, autistic, etc. I think to limit abled actors to only play abled characters would contradict the whole point of acting. As someone who is disabled, I see both sides of the coin. But whoever gets cast, should be cast based on acting ability, script, directors choice. I just dont think its that simple to say, "okay, we are only going to accept blind actors to play this blind character." Charlie Cox is sighted and he played Daredevil wonderfully. What Im trying to say is that we can't seclude abled actors. Actors should get cast based on their acting.
I'm loving the inclusion in the phrase "girls, boys, gays, theys, and anyone in between." Definitely gonna start using that.
I actually got into a debate with some people in the comment section of a video about exactly this the other day and it was so disheartening to hear how many people feel the same way as that person and are so closed off to even trying to understand where we are coming from.
Your makeup and hair looks fabulous today!! Your eye color pops with that shade of eye shadow. 👏❤️ Also thanks for sharing this important topic.
The take on disability representation for children needs to be hammered in everyone’s brain now. I see it everyday. My grandpa was in a wheelchair for a little bit and when my 2yr niece(who adores him) saw this, she hid behind her mom so fast saying “what’s wrong with grandpa?” And when my moms boyfriend had a cast on his foot and a scooter to move around on, she would not walk near him and would look at him with a scowl of confusion and fear. They’ve never seen those things on their cartoons, and every new thing is scary to young young children
This is so right!! I would add that besides acting, modeling, hosting, and all thing visible in the media should be more prevalent :) Loved the video