Should an actor who does not have a disability be able to play a character with a disability?
I don’t think so.
In a recent episode of Able, a show highlighting performers with disabilities, actor, and disability advocate Christine Bruno, was interviewed, and the casting habits of Hollywood were discussed.
Ms. Bruno said that there are a few terms that describe the actions of casting teams when it comes to casting an actor a disabled character.
The first word that we learned from this interview is Cripface- casting an actor who doesn’t have a disability as a disabled character.
The second word that we learned was cripping up. This is when a casting team gets lazy and gives a role of a disabled person to a non-disabled actor because they can not find exactly what they want for the role.
Hollywood needs to realize that no disability looks the same in any two people. Therefore, any action done would be a caricature.
Furthermore, Bruno said that anyone with a disability should be eligible to audition for any role as long as they can fulfill the job requirements.
Let me know what you think of these ideas.
Encouragement Notes Podcast 