Lisa Hammond has slammed the casting of Charlie Heaton as The Elephant Man.
The former ‘EastEnders’ actress – who has a restricted growth condition – has hit out at casting directors after the ‘Stranger Things’ actor landed the role of Joseph Merrick, a man whose disfigurements from a combination of rare diseases caused him to end up being displayed in Victorian freak shows.
Charlie will take on the part of Joseph/ The Elephant Man in a forthcoming BBC One biography, but Lisa said it is "depressing" that disabled actors "aren’t allowed to tell our own stories".
She quoted an article announcing Charlie’s casting on Twitter, and wrote: "Ah the familiar story of a non disabled actor getting 2 tell story of a real disabled man.. We cant get a foot in the door 4 so called non disabled roles & we also aren’t allowed to tell our own stories #depressing #disabilityasacostume #Crippingupagain (sic)"
‘Hollyoaks’ star Annie Wallace – who became the first-ever transgender person to play a regular transgender character in a leading UK soap when she joined ‘Hollyoaks’ as Sally St. Claire in 2015 – backed up Lisa’s comments.
She tweeted: "and no doubt, you’ll get a white, straight, able-bodied person, or several, telling you "it’s just acting" very soon (sic)"
A Twitter user responded to Lisa’s comment, saying: "What is it then, if it’s not acting? That’s what the profession is, get over it. (sic)"
And Lisa claimed stars with disabilities are "consistently turned away" from auditioning for "normal roles".
She wrote back: "100% right! Why then R we consistently being turned away from even auditioning 4 "normal roles"? receptionists/lawyers/teachers the "normal" people that are out & about on our street’s? U cant have it both ways. If non disabled actors get 2 play us, then we can play you right? (sic)"
The Twitter user then suggested being "constantly" turned away from auditions could’ve happened because "you’re not good at acting".
Lisa – who played Donna Yates in ‘EastEnders’ – wrote: "1/2 Entirely possible I & others will not b given the part cause we r not "good at acting" yep! Out of all disabled actors out there-I v. much doubt we are all "not good"? I think the point is that we don’t get in the room 2 show whether we r any "good" or not in the 1st place..
2/2 Ur thoughts r based in a world that doesn’t exist in our industry I’m afraid. U seem 2 believe that non disabled actors & disabled actors r on a level playing ground & the job goes 2 the best at the "acting", believe me after 27 yrs in the industry #iwishthatwasthecase (sic)"
Annie also appeared to echo Lisa’s latest views as she retweeted her two tweets.
Lisa Hammond hits out at Charlie Heaton’s Elephant Man casting
