Yahoo News Celebrating Disability Pride Month: Conversations with stars from Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks
To mark Disability Pride Month, which celebrates the rights and achievements of disabled individuals, we spoke with some leading disabled soap stars to highlight the importance of authentic representation, the ongoing push for equal opportunities, and the small details, now written more often into scripts, that make up disabled lives.
James Moore – Ryan Stocks in Emmerdale
James Moore has played Ryan Stocks since 2018. The character and actor have cerebral palsy. In a fractured and fractious world, his no-nonsense approach to the job cuts through. "Disability representation tends to come from a more personal place," James says.
Still, disability doesn't have to be the whole basis for the character: "It's just something that they have."
James didn't watch soap growing up but he has noticed the change. Productions are more likely to cast disabled actors, but the issue remains: "Disabled characters are few and far between, which is why I feel like there needs to be progress there."
What then of the pressure to be the "poster child" for both progress and the disability itself? James says: "I feel like everything I have said regarding disability comes from my genuine self and feelings. I feel like I'm quite an outspoken person, and I think if there's an issue that I'm passionate about, I'm confident enough to make sure my voice is heard."
As for disabled actors in other soaps: "I know how hard it can be to get your foot in the door. Being a working actor can be a difficult career path, and adding a disability offers further restrictions. So, I admire every disabled actor who persevered, in and out of soap."
Pressed to name a favourite: "Of course, I have to mention Liam [Bairstow] from Corrie [who plays Alex]. He's a lovely guy and a terrific actor."
To conclude, he ponders the future of disability representation — reflecting especially on the hit of COVID-19: "The future of disability representation is unclear at the moment. But, it's certainly getting better."
Ellie Henry – Freya Calder in Hollyoaks
For her first major screen role, Ellie Henry plays Freya Calder, who was introduced to Hollyoaks last year and returns to our screens soon.
As a relative newcomer, questions about what makes good disability representation must seem overwhelming but the answer, at their core, is simple: stories written and informed by disabled people: "Not only telling stories of disabilities but of lives – having children, working and even murdering! I still think there's room for more inclusion within other forms of media, and hopefully, they follow in the footsteps of the soaps."
Does she feel pressure to be a "poster child" for disability? Her answer is thoughtful and direct: "This is something that comes up for me every single day and is something I struggle with. The disabled community is diverse, and I can only speak my voice within that.
"I feel the need to show people what they expect to see to represent well, but most people haven't seen a disabled person like me before, sometimes using a wheelchair and sometimes appearing completely healthy, so I am constantly questioning whether the choices I make for myself align with aiding the community in moving forward."
She's put a lot of thought into her perspective — her voice in our community and storytelling. "The best way I can represent is to be authentically myself and be prepared to explain to people what they don't yet understand."
Again when it comes to what she wants to see next, it's all about that staring-you-right-in-the-face honesty about growing up, and the vulnerability and the imperfection of that period.
Ellie says: "There are so many nuances to the experience of being a teenager or young adult in this world and the insecurities that come with that which are only amplified and added to with disability in the mix."
But she finds meaningful relatability in characters like Izzy from Coronation Street, who lead ordinary lives with children, partners, and jobs. Talking of whom…
Cherylee Houston – Izzy Armstrong in Coronation Street
Cherylee Houston has played Izzy Armstrong since 2010, capturing that rare thing in disability representation: a whole life — daughter, to partner, to mother, to ex-partner, to factory worker.
Cherylee sought to incorporate often hard-won lessons she has learned from living with a disability, particularly during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She says: "You know, you've gone through a journey, and I think disability does that a lot in life. It gives you a fast track of certain emotions that people take years to experience.
"And I made a point, when Izzy came back, to be more confident, assertive, witty, and crank up different areas of her personality that were already there. As I think the writers did too. " To portray that understanding and realism.
Cherylee's favourite example of disability representation in another soap, something that resonates? Donna from EastEnders, assertive and outspoken: "She was so mouthy."
But she doesn't feel a responsibility to represent the entire community. "Because so many of us do so many different things in different ways, I think. I was incredibly fortunate to have my job for as long as I've had it.
"But I always try to view it as an actor rather than a disability issue. I believe that the more stories are told, the more changes there will be. And I think that has been separate for me as a career as an actor. So, I don't feel a responsibility. And maybe that's because that'd be too big. There are loads of us. We can all share it."
On the future of disability representation and disability rights: "It's so interesting because what we're talking about is some of that stuff makes you stronger, wiser, more resilient. I don't want the next generation coming up to go through what we went through."
But then she questions: "Would it be easier? Would it be more joyous? I don't know. I hope so."
Annabelle Davis – Lacey Lloyd in Hollyoaks
Annabelle Davis, a relatively new arrival as Lacey Lloyd in Hollyoaks, believes that the most important representations of disability are the ones that are the most authentic – telling real stories from real people. That's where you can open the audience's eyes to the realities disabled people face every day.
As one of the few little people in soap, there is pressure to represent the experience.
Annabelle says: "You want to create a character that the majority of people in the community can relate to and empathise with. You become far more aware of the scripts and conscious of writing.
"I struggled with this at the beginning fearing I was being too overprotective. But then I realised, there are so many little people out there with their own distinctive personalities and challenges, one character could never speak for all of them."
The goal is to reach a place where representation becomes ordinary, a future where representation is natural and unthinking.
She adds: "When it becomes so normal, we don't notice it happening. That's when I think we've made it."
These stories and perspectives highlight the need for storytelling where disabled characters are portrayed authentically, with personal feelings and experiences.
Dr Kirsty Liddiard from the University of Sheffield adds: "Disability representation significantly impacts how different audiences learn about and engage with disability and disabled people's lives. This is why disabled people's lives and stories must be represented accurately, honestly and authentically."
Read more Coronation Street coverage on our dedicated homepage
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