AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. Edited to remove the word 'suffer'. Due to the length of the article, please click the link at the bottom of the page to read the full article)
They all have different disabilities, but they don't let them get in the way
These are the inspirational disabled actors who dream of stardom, but they have to fight to get there.
They all face different disabilities and impairments, and they all face different challenges, but they all have one thing in common: their passion for acting.
Richard Newnham has Asperger's syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disability that changes a person's perception of the world.
People who have been diagnosed with it see, hear and feel the world differently to others, and they have it for life.
Why are you passionate about acting?
"I am passionate about acting because I believe I can do it, I believe I have the talent, and it's something that I want to do.
"In a deeper, psychological sense it's really exciting to explore a character and their world and bringing that story to life."
How has having Asperger's affected your acting?
"I wasn't really sure what Asperger's was about. I was told I had it but I didn't know what it was, only that it's a learning disability. I always imagine myself being like any other person, I'm just a person looking for work as an actor and making a name for it.
"I've been told that Asperger's can make people more creative and imaginative, and I feel like in that it helps towards acting because you can look beyond the box and try to imagine things in a way you probably wouldn't if you didn't have Asperger.
"It helps in greater depth in terms of understanding a character and their story, and really getting into the depths of how to perform based on imagination and creativity, and seeing how things work and how they don't work too."
Has it affected your acting in a negative way?
"Sometimes there are words that puzzle me, or if something is written in a certain way then sometimes it puts me off a little bit, but if someone explains it in another way it isn't usually a problem.
"One thing I would like to see more of is that often you see disabled characters being played by actors who don't have the disability, and I feel like that why not? Why not get an actor who has that disability into that role? I feel like that has to change and there has to be more opportunity out there for actors with disabilities to act roles, and not just roles of characters with disabilities, but any roles."
You're a member of Cardiff's inclusive theatre company Hijinx. How has this helped you as an actor with a disability?
"I think that Hijinx has opened doors for me. It has taught me new skills and taken the ones that I already had up to another level. The people here appreciate and understand the talent that the actors here have."
Full Article: The disabled actors overcoming challenges in the tough industry
They all have different disabilities, but they don't let them get in the way
These are the inspirational disabled actors who dream of stardom, but they have to fight to get there.
They all face different disabilities and impairments, and they all face different challenges, but they all have one thing in common: their passion for acting.
Richard Newnham has Asperger's syndrome
Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disability that changes a person's perception of the world.
People who have been diagnosed with it see, hear and feel the world differently to others, and they have it for life.
Why are you passionate about acting?
"I am passionate about acting because I believe I can do it, I believe I have the talent, and it's something that I want to do.
"In a deeper, psychological sense it's really exciting to explore a character and their world and bringing that story to life."
How has having Asperger's affected your acting?
"I wasn't really sure what Asperger's was about. I was told I had it but I didn't know what it was, only that it's a learning disability. I always imagine myself being like any other person, I'm just a person looking for work as an actor and making a name for it.
"I've been told that Asperger's can make people more creative and imaginative, and I feel like in that it helps towards acting because you can look beyond the box and try to imagine things in a way you probably wouldn't if you didn't have Asperger.
"It helps in greater depth in terms of understanding a character and their story, and really getting into the depths of how to perform based on imagination and creativity, and seeing how things work and how they don't work too."
Has it affected your acting in a negative way?
"Sometimes there are words that puzzle me, or if something is written in a certain way then sometimes it puts me off a little bit, but if someone explains it in another way it isn't usually a problem.
"One thing I would like to see more of is that often you see disabled characters being played by actors who don't have the disability, and I feel like that why not? Why not get an actor who has that disability into that role? I feel like that has to change and there has to be more opportunity out there for actors with disabilities to act roles, and not just roles of characters with disabilities, but any roles."
You're a member of Cardiff's inclusive theatre company Hijinx. How has this helped you as an actor with a disability?
"I think that Hijinx has opened doors for me. It has taught me new skills and taken the ones that I already had up to another level. The people here appreciate and understand the talent that the actors here have."
Full Article: The disabled actors overcoming challenges in the tough industry
