How does the handicap of the character and actor align?

Individuals with disabilities are successful individuals who deserve a fair chance at being considered for roles on screen. Actors are often assigned to play roles that do not align with their reality as an individual. The boundaries concerning the cultural identities actors can assume to embody characters in films or TV shows are unclear. Throughout cinematic history, actors have frequently crossed cultural boundaries in portraying characters due to the ambiguity of these delineations. At one time individuals in the acting and directing community felt it was acceptable to have actors play characters of different races than the actor. For example, it was once thought and felt that it was acceptable for a White actor to play a Black or Latina character, which was done by adding layers of makeup to make that appearance. After films and TV shows were released with actors taking on a different racial identity for the sake of the character, it was decided that this was a boundary that should not be crossed. However, more recently viewers have been paying attention to another line and trying to help the acting and directing community decide the best course of action. This debate is surrounding actors without disabilities playing characters with disabilities on screen. There are two main categories of actors that I will examine over the course of this blog: (1) actors and characters with autism and Down syndrome; and (2) actors and characters with wheelchairs or amputations. The first category of actors and characters are those with Autism and Down Syndrome: - Glee – TV series – Down Syndrome - Atypical – TV series – Autism - Music – Drama Film – Non-Verbal Autism - The Good Doctor – TV Series – Autism and Savant Syndrome - April 15th TBA – aiming for movie – TBA The second category actors and characters are those with wheelchairs: - Forrest Gump – Drama - Film Degrassi – TV Series - The Healing Powers of Dude – TV Series - The Fundamentals of Caring – Road Comedy-Drama Film - April 15th TBA – aiming for film

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