I was watching A DIFFERENT MAN when Adam Pearson came on screen and ten seconds later all I could wonder was why he wasn’t being cast in more roles. Pearson was so wonderful and charming that my heart ached for all the lost performances he could have given in the past if people had just looked past his face and saw the person underneath.(I have not met the man, but I have been told by several people he is one of the best people I will ever meet and it is something I need to do)
The trouble is that the entertainment industry,Hollywood and Broadway, doesn’t want to cast people with physical issues because "people" don’t want to see it. They only want people with physical issues or wheelchairs or what have you, to appear in roles where they mirror the character on the screen. The trouble is that in real life people with various issues are living regular lives and there is no reason that they can’t play any other role, just as there is no reason that they can't do any other job that is out there.
This truly hit home for me when Ali Stroker, who is in a wheelchair, won the Tony award for Oklahoma as sexpot Annie a few years ago. She was so magnificent that I was hopeful that Broadway would put her, and others like her, in other iconic roles because she made the role her own. She was so good that I went to see her do a solo show at Lincoln Center and she brought the house down.
The wave I hoped for never happened.
My question is why not cast Ali or Adam in other roles? They can do anything and honestly, by not doing so we are losing some truly amazing cultural moments by thinking inside of a broken box.
Seriously, why can’t someone like Adam Pearson be cast as a romantic lead? We know he can do it, he is after all the romantic lead in A DIFFERENT MAN, and we completely believe it. Why not cast him in other roles? Wouldn't he be great in an action buddy comedy? How about a heavy drama? I could think of probably 15 to 20 classic roles he would be perfect in. I could also think of a large number of modern films where his charm could have made the film better.
While I mentioned above how the casting would raise awareness and visibility above, my real reason for wanting it is I want the best people to play the role. I want the best performer, regardless of who they are, possible to play the role. Cast these actors and never mention anything that sets them physically apart, there is no need to because they are everywhere, whether we want to acknowledge them or not. Hell, if we just cast them and make no mention of it, it will be common place and and only the small minded will ever have a criticism.
At the same time I want the best people behind the scenes, behind the camera and beyond the footlights to be making the films or the shows. Who cares about how they are physically if they can do the job? I don't want to get emails any more about a great new filmmaker who is handicapped. Chop off the handicapped part, just give me the great filmmaker part, that's the important part. If they are great directors, or writers or composers or whatever that's all that matters.
Yes, I know this is a no duh moment, but at the same time I am haunted by the fact that Adam Pearson isn’t a huge actor, nor is he seriously in the Awards discussions, while his co-star Sebastian Stan is, because he is that freaking good. I am also heartbroken that Ali Stoker hasn’t become a regularly appearing lead on Broadway because she too good not to taking on the classic musical theater roles.
We need the these great performers and creators out there doing their thing and showing us a true reflection of the lives that we are living
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