Eli Van Sickel is troubled by those who see able-bodied actors playing disabled characters convincingly as beacons of acting talent.
There is an inherent danger in being an actor. You take mental and, some might say, spiritual risks in devoting yourself to a character. In the case of reviews, you put your reputation on the line, and in the case of your physical self, you put your body on the line for the sake of the work. Indeed, an actor’s body is a critical aspect of his career. You must be able to totally transform yourself into the character. To what lengths are you willing to go to give a great performance? What toll will it take on your body? And how will you be rewarded for such efforts?
The occurrence of able-bodied actors playing disabled characters is not at all new. Indeed, if there is a phenomenon around this issue, it is the increased questioning of the practice (examples of which have been published on this website). For the purposes of this blog post, however, I am particularly concerned with the examination of these able actors and how their bodies, and the risk factors involved, contribute to the performances and ultimately garner critical acclaim. The cases of Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man, Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan, and Kevin Spacey’s performance as the title character in Richard III give unique insight into the current trends regarding these issues... Keep reading on HowlRound
There is an inherent danger in being an actor. You take mental and, some might say, spiritual risks in devoting yourself to a character. In the case of reviews, you put your reputation on the line, and in the case of your physical self, you put your body on the line for the sake of the work. Indeed, an actor’s body is a critical aspect of his career. You must be able to totally transform yourself into the character. To what lengths are you willing to go to give a great performance? What toll will it take on your body? And how will you be rewarded for such efforts?
The occurrence of able-bodied actors playing disabled characters is not at all new. Indeed, if there is a phenomenon around this issue, it is the increased questioning of the practice (examples of which have been published on this website). For the purposes of this blog post, however, I am particularly concerned with the examination of these able actors and how their bodies, and the risk factors involved, contribute to the performances and ultimately garner critical acclaim. The cases of Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man, Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan, and Kevin Spacey’s performance as the title character in Richard III give unique insight into the current trends regarding these issues... Keep reading on HowlRound