new film starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who lost both legs is under fire for not casting a disabled actor in the role.

[HRH Ayyu]

Jake Gyllenhaal film slated over amputee casting

 

   

A new film starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a man who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombings is under fire for not casting a disabled actor in the role.

The Ruderman Family Foundation, which supports people with disabilities, said his casting was proof of "Hollywood's ongoing systemic discrimination."

"We wouldn't accept a white actor play[ing] a black character," said its president Jay Ruderman.

They recently slated a film with Alec Baldwin as a man who loses his sight.

In Stronger, released in the UK in December, Gyllenhaal plays Jeff Bauman, who was severely injured in the 2013 bombings and who now uses prosthetic legs.

Speaking at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend, the actor said Bauman was a "total inspiration" and "one of the strongest people I know."

 

Earlier this year. director David Gordon Green told Entertainment Tonight that Gyllenhaal was "the only actor I spoke to" about the project.

Speaking in March, though, the 36-year-old admitted he found it difficult to appreciate the magnitude of Bauman's life-changing experience.

"No matter how far you push yourself, to understand even the idea of that is almost close to impossible," he told The Guardian.

"By his own admission, David Gordon Green never even considered any other actors in a role in which Gyllenhaal plays a character who is a double amputee," said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

"By not even giving actors who are amputees the chance to audition for the role awarded to Gyllenhaal, Green effectively denied actors with disabilities to even be considered for the role.

 

"Gyllenhaal may have been the best actor for the part, but if actors with disabilities are never given a chance to audition, they will never have the opportunity to reach the success that someone like Gyllenhaal has achieved," he continued.

The issue is one likely to be raised again in the coming months, which will also see the able-bodied Bryan Cranston play a quadriplegic in The Upside.

The film is a remake of the 2011 French film Intouchables, which also cast an able-bodied actor - France's Francois Cluzet - as its wheelchair-using protagonist.

The Boston Marathon bombings were also the subject of 2016's Patriots Day, in which Bauman was portrayed by Dan Whelton - another able-bodied actor.

bbc news

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curious on what people think on the subject, im seeing alot of people trying to use the whitewash argument when it comes to transgender roles and now it seems the same argument is beng made about certain  roles that involve disabilities, on one had i think people are taking it too far on the other hand if people living with disabilities want actors who who arent able bodied to potray them who are we to disagree

[columbarium]

GET THAT OSCAR BABY    

[cheolbong supremacy]

Bruh how many films come along where a DISABLED person is the lead and a disabled actor who has probably 0 chance to star in any film actually has a chance? If it's a film about disabled people, then have some damn respect for the material and content of the film and cast a disabled person. These chances are once in a blue moon

 

How many films are there with ABLE bodied ppl starring? Every other movie out there

[Pirine]

Though I kind of understand why he only considered gyllenhaal -- hes an amazing actor. It wouldve been nice if they at least held auditions for other actors too.

[gummybear_dragon]

He is very (VERY) talented in acting, so I can see why they chose him right off the bet. But they should have held auditions to give disabled men a chance. Maybe in some parts of the movie you see the protagonist's life when he could still use both of his legs well, so they didn't hire a disabled actor to save money? I imagine the CGI costing more than a wheelchair or prosthetics. Wait what if they used CGI for his legs in the movie instead of prosthetics... I guess there really is no excuse.

[tang]

people aren't taking it too far. productions are just lazy and afraid to take risks and unless they stop they should be dragged to hell and back because minorities aren't "roles" to play.

[HRH Ayyu]

He is very (VERY) talented in acting, so I can see why they chose him right off the bet. But they should have held auditions to give disabled men a chance. Maybe in some parts of the movie you see the protagonist's life when he could still use both of his legs well, so they didn't hire a disabled actor to save money? I imagine the CGI costing more than a wheelchair or prosthetics. Wait what if they used CGI for his legs in the movie instead of prosthetics... I guess there really is no excuse.

oh yh, i forgot abot the filming pont of view, they will most likely have scenes before the accdent where the actor is walking.

 

thats not easy to imitate with a actor who have to use a wheelchaor in real life

[shimjoohyun]

How much harder the filming will be if they indeed hiring disabled actors as lead. Like instead of just sit on the wheelchair, the whole team need to move the quadriplegic actor?

 

To find good actors with specific disability? Small talent pools

 

Somemore with someone who has no name value to sell

 

I understood fully why they won't take that risk.

 

And it's acting, obviously they are fake.

[NlNE]

people aren't taking it too far. productions are just lazy and afraid to take risks and unless they stop they should be dragged to hell and back because minorities aren't "roles" to play.

 

by this logic, you're saying that there should not be minority representation in movies which is extremely offensive from my perspective as a disabled individual.

there needs to be disabled representation in hollywood because then people will be more willing to understand us as individuals. don't you think that by saying this people would have less understanding of different minorities like us?

 

i also wholeheartedly support a disabled actor getting the role, but only after the accident has occurred. Jake can easily cover the bits before the accident but afterwards, a disabled actor should take the role if they want to cut costs.

[NlNE]

oh yh, i forgot abot the filming pont of view, they will most likely have scenes before the accdent where the actor is walking.

 

thats not easy to imitate with a actor who have to use a wheelchaor in real life

 

i agree with this 100%

[MarKendrick Lamar]

All these 'don't play a disabled character if you're not disabled' or 'the role of a cancer patient should only be given to a cancer survivor' destroy the whole purpose of being an actor. Like hello? ACTING? Pretending to be something or someone? taking up a freaking role?  

[cheolbong supremacy]

All these 'don't play a disabled character if you're not disabled' or 'the role of a cancer patient should only be given to a cancer survivor' destroy the whole purpose of being an actor. Like hello? ACTING? Pretending to be something or someone? taking up a freaking role?

 

But doesn't that mean that disability is being viewed as a "costume" a minority that an able bodied person can shrug off and off as they please.

 

Isn't one of the reasons black fave (for example) is so horrible bc ppl think they can paint on and off black skin ad if it was a costume unlike actual POC who live with their skin every day

 

The same rule should apply here. If disabled ppl are never given a chance to even represent themselves then how do ppl expect the stigma against disabled minorities to disappear? Having an abled person play the character defeats the purpose.

[Joon]

I am assuming they are going to have some of his life before he lost his legs in the film. I mean this with all respect but how would you film that if you need to use the same actor?

 

 

Now if it was a filmmaker where the actor would be disabled the entire film I see no reason why they shouldn't have went with a disabled actor...

[HRH Ayyu]

But doesn't that mean that disability is being viewed as a "costume" a minority that an able bodied person can shrug off and off as they please.

 

Isn't one of the reasons black fave (for example) is so horrible bc ppl think they can paint on and off black skin ad if it was a costume unlike actual POC who live with their skin every day

 

The same rule should apply here. If disabled ppl are never given a chance to even represent themselves then how do ppl expect the stigma against disabled minorities to disappear? Having an abled person play the character defeats the purpose.

i dont disagree with any of the points you made, 

 

but i find it intrestin that in my experience people with disabilities dont like to be called disabled, they liked to be viewed as a person living with a disability. 

 

 

 

a person in a wheelchaor had a massive go at a co worker of mine for  for labeling her disabled. we got trained to use this term.

 

"Put the person first. Say “person with disability†rather than “disabled person.†Say “people with disability†rather than “the disabled.†A person isn’t defined by their disability – they are a person before anything else."

 

 

so i find it weird when i see people defending people with disabilities but refering to them like their are a separate group.

[cheolbong supremacy]

i dont disagree with any of the points you made,

 

but i find it intrestin that in my experience people with disabilities dont like to be called disabled, they liked to be viewed as a person living with a disability.

 

 

 

a person in a wheelchaor had a massive go at a co worker of mine for for labeling her disabled. we got trained to use this term.

 

"Put the person first. Say “person with disability†rather than “disabled person.†Say “people with disability†rather than “the disabled.†A person isn’t defined by their disability – they are a person before anything else."

 

 

so i find it weird when i see people defending people with disabilities but refering to them like their are a separate group.

Thank you for pointing that out, it was indeed my mistake. I was actually unsure of how to address it correctly. You're right. A person is a person before their disability.

 

And that's exactly what having representation helps establish. That a person can have a disability and not let that disability define their identity, that they can be actors and celebrities and whatever else they want in SPITE of it

[gummybear_dragon]

i dont disagree with any of the points you made, 

 

but i find it intrestin that in my experience people with disabilities dont like to be called disabled, they liked to be viewed as a person living with a disability. 

 

 

 

a person in a wheelchaor had a massive go at a co worker of mine for  for labeling her disabled. we got trained to use this term.

 

"Put the person first. Say “person with disability†rather than “disabled person.†Say “people with disability†rather than “the disabled.†A person isn’t defined by their disability – they are a person before anything else."

 

 

so i find it weird when i see people defending people with disabilities but refering to them like their are a separate group.

I've heard the opposite though, their reasoning's been that you should say "disabled people" instead because if you say "people that are disabled" you're making it sound like being disabled is abnormal, that it takes away from them being human and that it makes them less human.

[TIAAERI]

Gyllenhaal will be fine for the role. People need to stop trippin. He is a very capable and amazing actor

[jennaayy]

Meh. James Franco played someone who had to amputate their own arm in 127 Hours. He did the research and portrayed it really well. I didn't see anyone complaining about that back then.

[tang]

by this logic, you're saying that there should not be minority representation in movies which is extremely offensive from my perspective as a disabled individual.

there needs to be disabled representation in hollywood because then people will be more willing to understand us as individuals. don't you think that by saying this people would have less understanding of different minorities like us?

 

i also wholeheartedly support a disabled actor getting the role, but only after the accident has occurred. Jake can easily cover the bits before the accident but afterwards, a disabled actor should take the role if they want to cut costs.

where did i say there shouldn't be miniority representation in movies? that's what i'm exactly saying lol. if people without disability to "act out" people with disability it's offensive, simple.

[i2NE1]

Come on now ... do we have to cast an actor with cancer to play a character with cancer?

[Frozen Orchid]

justice for Alien too

[Jeffrey Jung]

Meh. James Franco played someone who had to amputate their own arm in 127 Hours. He did the research and portrayed it really well. I didn't see anyone complaining about that back then.

Because back then everyone isn't as whiny as now and let's be real this is a really bad example of politically correct culture

[jennaayy]

Because back then everyone isn't as whiny as now and let's be real this is a really bad example of politically correct culture

Basically.

[delirium]

Is Hollywood the new education and parenting system in America. Education is so bad and parents are so lazy that people don't learn in schools and at home anymore but they have to learn about others solely by watching an hour and a half movie?  

[Your Juan and only]

Saw the movie and his acting was amazing. Tatiana was as well, it made me hate Boston accents a little less.. just a little.