Yahoo News HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ and Fox’s ‘Accused’ Honored for Authentic Disability Representation (Exclusive)
HBO’s post-apocalyptic hit The Last of Us and Fox’s crime anthology Accused were among the projects that earned the 2023 Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Floodlight Pictures’ Oscar-winning 2022 short film An Irish Goodbye, along with NBC’s medical drama New Amsterdam were also honored. All honorees are celebrated for their casting decisions and commitment to full inclusiveness and authentic representation of people with disabilities.
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The Oscar winner for best live-action short, An Irish Goodbye, was the only film recognized this year as “the latest defining moment in the entertainment industry’s growing embrace of inclusion,” Jay Ruderman, Ruderman Family Foundation president, said in a statement. The film follows estranged brothers, Turlough and Lorcan, after one decides to send the other to live with a family member on the other side of Ireland. James Martin, an actor with Down syndrome, portrays Lorcan, a farmer dedicated to working the land he grew up on before his brother moves to send him away.
“We are gratified to recognize the authentic casting of James Martin and to celebrate the broader momentum built by the Foundation’s Seal of Authentic Representation,” Ruderman said of the film and honor. “In fact, all four productions who are receiving this award in its latest round have embodied how authentic representation is poised to eventually become the rule for casting decisions, rather than the exception, as the entertainment industry continues to expand opportunities for people with disabilities.”
“When we set out to make An Irish Goodbye, we were keen to feature a character with Down syndrome at the forefront of a story that refused to make disability its raison d’etre,” Ross White and Tom Berkeley, the film’s co-writers and directors, said. “Much like our leading man James Martin, we hoped in Lorcan we were writing a multifaceted, complex individual with a shed-load of charisma, a mischievous sense of humor and the agency to affect the story he finds himself in.
The duo continued, noting that they feel it is their storytelling duty “to create well-rounded, interesting characters that give every actor the ability to shine” and celebrated the transcendent performance” Martin delivers in the film. “I hope we have gone one step further to proving to the wider industry that protagonists with disabilities can be at the forefront of commercial and successful film narratives,” they added.
The Last of Us was honored for deaf actor Keivonn Woodard, who portrayed 13-year-old survivor Sam. “Finding Keivonn was sort of a wonder, mainly because he is, but also because of the short amount of time in which we luckily found him,” Vickie Thomas, the HBO show’s casting director said. “Because of Keivonn, the character of Sam had a built-in humanity and empathy. Hopefully his casting will help other actors with disabilities be cast not necessarily with their disability leading the way but because of their skills and their essence.”
Accused actress Stephanie Nogueras played Ava, a deaf surrogate who abducts a baby, who is also deaf, after the parents consider cochlear implants. In a statement, she shared that’s she “grateful” the Fox show was a recipient of the honor “because the film’s production team was simply seeking actors who are deaf who could reflect characters in themselves — and they did.”
“I am humbly honored for their decision to cast me as Ava. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I applaud their efforts and respect for our language, culture, identity and beyond, which allowed us to work together in harmony on the set,” she continued. “We, actors who are deaf, are eager to share our stories on screen only if we have true allies.”
Sandra Mae Frank, who appeared as Dr. Elizabeth Wilder, a practitioner who is deaf, in NBC’s New Amsterdam, called the Seal recognition “a huge honor and much deserved” as the role “opened doors for more authentic casting and also brought awareness that there are deaf and hard-of-hearing people specialized in the medical field.”
Frank added that she looks forward to more characters like Wilder being normalized on TV, in film and onstage. “It normalizes the expectation of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and for the viewers to finally see themselves and know they can achieve anything they set their minds to,” she added. “For me, to play a character like Dr. Wilder was a dream because the writers of New Amsterdam didn’t only focus on her deafness, but rather, her knowledge and ability in the oncologist field truly brought so many beautiful challenges.”
Previous Seal of Authentic Representation honorees include Marvel’s Eternals and Hawkeye, Max’s And Just Like That, Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II and Digital Ignition Entertainment’s Triumph.
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