There is “Atypical,” on Netflix, a coming-of-age comedy that features young adults on the autism spectrum, and “This Close,” on Sundance Now, about besties who are deaf. Both shows are part of a gradual trend toward the authentic casting of characters with disabilities. But according to new research, they are also anomalies.
A new white paper from the Ruderman Family Foundation reports that some 80 percent of all disabled characters on the small screen are portrayed by non-disabled actors. The imbalance is an indication, the report’s sponsors say, that efforts to diversify Hollywood are far from inclusive. And even with examples of authentic casting on “Atypical,” the lead character, who is autistic, is played by an actor who is not.
“We wouldn’t accept it with other minorities,” said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which published the report. “But with disability it is still routinely accepted. And that’s wrong.”
The research, covering about 280 network and streaming shows from 2018, found that roughly half featured characters with physical, cognitive or mental health disabilities. Yet, the report said, “even where disability is present in television and films, it is almost always portrayed as an undesired, depressing and limiting state”
There were signs of shifts. Of the Top 10 Nielsen-rated shows from 2016, just 5 percent of disabled characters were played by disabled performers. In 2018, that figure jumped to 12 percent.
Still, the raw figures tell a less rosy story. In 2018, there had been just two authentic castings in the Top 10 shows: Gavin McHugh from “9-1-1,” and Chrissy Metz from “This Is Us.” (McHugh has cerebral palsy; and Metz was included because obesity is considered a disability.) That was up from 2016, when there had been just one.
Ruderman said the low representation had far-ranging implications in shaping attitudes. Shows like “Will & Grace” and “Ellen” have been credited with widening the popular embrace of people who are LGBTQ.
Disabled people — who face an unemployment rate that is more than twice as high as their non-disabled peers — have little clout in the entertainment industry. Ruderman faulted the historic isolation disabled people have faced. While that is slowly changing, he said, most decision makers in the entertainment industry do not see disability as part of general life.
And having that personal connection is key. For his show “Ramy,” Ramy Youssef, who recently won a Golden Globe for best comedy actor in a series, cast his close buddy Steve Way, who has muscular dystrophy, as his character’s best friend.
The foundation has been pressuring studios and networks to include more disabled talent, and is partnering this year with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a series of initiatives toward that end.
Last year, CBS Entertainment became the first — and so far only — studio to sign a pledge with the foundation to audition disabled actors for series that get picked up (CBS had more authentic castings than any other network or streaming platform).
“This is an issue of fairness,” Ruderman said. “This is an issue of over 20 percent of the population not being seen.”
Source: Television - nytimes.com
