#wheelchair actress

[arraunean]

Fun fact : my avatar actually comes from some concept art i drew for the sirens because my sister was rewriting the odyssey for a theatre play that toured like 4 years ago.

[inkperch]

Heartbreaking, the only use of the 'We/you deserve each other!' motif where all sides are in agreement is 'Just her and me! The Wicked Witch of the East! We deserve each other...'

(which Nessa then instantly back slides on, robbing her of her character development to make the Tinman blame Elphie, in a very unnecessary and contrived way seeing as he literally already does-) (I hope they change that in the movie and focus in on the tragedy that Nessa finally realises her mistakes just after burning her final bridge, instead of having her grab the lighter again immediately-)

[arosebyan0thername]

Preparing to watch a lifetime christmas romance movie in march purely because I wanna see how well they executed a cheesy romance with a wheelchair user

[sunnycanwrite]

I've had a lot of good conversations with actors about representation in movies. And a out how I fit into it. Movies and tv often struggle with autism, tic disorder and wheelchairs (and a fuck ton more) and I fit all those categories. More recently it's gotten much better characters with disabilities being played by disabled actors.

A good example is the horror movie, Run, which is quickly be coming on of my favorites. It stars a wheelchair user, and portrays had character very positively. Today I was talking to an actor whoses been ina lot of horror movies and once played a character in a wheelchair. He mentioned how it would have been better if they'd cast an actual wheelchair user.

what I'm saying is some people in Hollywood know that disabled people deserve to be there. They acknowledge that we should be in certain roles, that we aren't just something to make fun of. And it feels good.

[addictsitter]

it did not occur to me until just now but like.

do you guys ever think about the fact that shirley in the dw special being disabled actually, like. saved her life and helped donna and the doctor.

like. the fucking stairs joke earlier on. just. got the best payoff? punchline? however you want to frame it.

[an-aura-about-you]

ok so The Barber of Seville is a comedy but I AM getting some Buried vibes here:

-Rosina says she's as good as buried being confined to her home

-when she speaks to Figaro about her love for Lindoro and finds he is going to help she says she's able to breathe again

-when her guardian Bartolo catches wind that she has a lover besides him, he says he will close the house up so tight that even the outside air can't get in

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Mr Gaiman!

I don’t have a question but I just wanted to let you know how much I sincerely appreciate the minority representation in Good Omens. I’m a person with a physical disability, and seeing someone like me on the screen is so rare. And when it does happen, there’s usually something I take issue with, like a depressing image of this person who hates the fact that they’re disabled and can’t live a happy or independent life. The way that Liz Carr’s disability is worked into her character is so cool, I can’t tell you how much it means to have a character like that in a fantasy setting just exist as she is and use her powers to make the world around her more accessible rather than changing herself. I don’t know if you realize how wonderful of a message that is to send to young disabled people. Fingers crossed for a greenlit season 3 so we can see more! 🤞

Thank you so much! When we approached Liz to play the angel Saraqael it was because we loved her as an actress (and I'm thrilled that people responded to her so well).

Once we knew Saraqael was going to be played by Liz then I got to write them a wheelchair and give them miracles to make the human world more accessible (that pointed out perhaps some of the ways it isn't) and we asked Amazon to cover many tens of thousands of dollars in CGI to make the Heavenly wheelchair float, and they agreed.

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

doctor who but i've never watched it

and so it begins again. the people asked for it. the people got it. i will ensure the people regret it.

i have never watched this show, or seen an edit, but i am a thorough researcher and i feel that i've got the essence of it.

this is what i have gathered. academicians worldwide take note.

Firstly, so I don't anger anyone, I accept and acknowledge that the tardis is blue and not yellow. My misinformation was from a Drarry fanfiction, and I had hitherto regarded Drarry fanfiction as the absolute truth.

There are doctors, and there are at least fifteen of them. At least two of them are David Tennant, which I can respect.

I'm not sure why the doctors are doctors, because I can find no trace of any medical procedure except for one doctor who licks things, which he learned from the previous doctor. If this is sufficient reason, I apologise for doubting their credentials.

On the other hand, if they are doctors thanks to a postdoctoral degree, this is also fine, though I have never seen anyone study anything. There is however a doctor, and there were people upset about her, but the fandom pointed out she set the tardis on fire, which is apparently a very doctor thing to do. Setting things on fire is absolutely something any research scholar would love, so again, apologies for doubting their credentials.

At least one doctor is gay. It is probably one of the David doctors, which checks out. He says someone, I think a dentist, is hot. I envy the maybe-dentist.

A t least one doctor is trans. I was unable to find them. But they exist. Oh yes, the fandom assures me they exist.

David Tennant as well as Ncuti Gatwa were fanboys, first of the show, and second of David Tennant, and thus they got into acting. Just a fun tidbit from me, since I am now the authority on this fandom.

There are time machines with which the doctors have sex by piloting them, which is questionable because the time machines are only partially sentient. I am not sure if the time machines are the tardis. But the tardis is blue, and not yellow, of that I am certain.

There was a stage play. Or maybe that was a metaphor for the production budget of the early seasons. I am not sure, but toddler David Tennant watched it. I assume no one took a 3 year old to a stage play, so through scientific deduction, it must have been a metaphor.

At some point, Death is an agony aunt and they have to spill secrets to it, or drown in a lake of human skulls. Who is this they? It's so obvious that the fandom sees no need to explain it, and neither do I. I do know it though. Of that you may remain certain.

A David doctor has a niece and she likes being his niece.

A David doctor has a best friend named Donna. He kisses her head. She supports his fruitiness. It is wholesome. It killed him when he lost her.

Slight tangent, but younger David doctor looks like Andrew Garfield. Current David in photos does give Ben Barnes energy. Any Wolfstar shippers, I believe you've found the Wolfstar kid. It is David Tennant.

A lot of people are David Tennant. A reliable Pinterest post on Doctor Who, clearly well researched, gave me the statistic that 15% of Doctor Who is David Tennant. From the amount of David Tennant that I ran across in my research, I don't understand it but I don't doubt it, either.

Speaking of Andrew Garfield, he in involved in this somehow. I am not sure how, but you cannot escape Andrew Garfield. He is even a part of fandoms he never acted in.

There is an individual named Catherine, I think she is the actress, but she could be a character. She seems to have much less knowledge about Doctor Who lore than I do. David Tennant finds it funny. Maybe he would find me funny, too.

The doctors installed some things in the tardis, from a wheelchair ramp to a jukebox. I don't know why a jukebox was needed. If I'm honest I don't know what a jukebox is. I don't know what the tardis is. But it is blue, and not yellow.

There is a French catchphrase.

Something happens in Wales. I don't know what it is, but something always seems to be happening in Wales in these fandoms, so I don't doubt it.

There is an old Doctor Who in a wheelchair, and he is happy to see a David doctor.

They go around in space, and do things. Who is this they? You and I both know the answer, so we needn't talk about it.

The show intro is "doo wee doo".

There is an alien who is not a mouse, the alien is The Meep, and uses the definite article as pronouns. David doctor is supportive of this, which is very good.

I found baby Yoda in the show, but apparently they call it a 'goblin' there, and someone doesn't like it.

There is a lot to do with time. There is a time hole, and things happen, and people die and are resurrected. There is danger, but it is fun.

They have CGI, and it is not good, which is the best thing about it. Who is they? Please stop asking me. It is rather obvious and something I definitely know.

Someone's boyfriend dies and the boyfriend is then resurrected but then gets lost with his boyfriend but then is reincarnated as a girl who would still call herself the someone's boyfriend but then she is replaced by the boyfriend but he's different now. I apologise for any errors that have crept it, but the tardis is blue and not yellow.

Someone named Martha is a doctor, and someone is very proud of her for it.

The eleventh and twelfth doctors like bow ties.

David Tennant wants to be ginger. David Tennant always gets what he wants. Who can refuse David Tennant? David Tennant is then ginger.

A David doctor gets a happy ending.

Someone yelled at Neil Gaiman about this. It was a mistake. He said that since it had already been done, he wouldn't want to give David's character a happy ending in S3, that would be a trifle unoriginal.

A lesson to be learned, Good Omens fandom, just a bit of advice from your son, do not yell at Neil Gaiman, it does not go well. Rumour has it he murdered the people who complained about him always wearing black. Of course, there is the fact that he doesn't exist, but that doesn't seem to have stopped him.

The doctors manifest in the previous doctor's clothes, which is apparently so last season. The tardis also manifests. I don't know where, or how. But it is blue, and not yellow.

I know, there was a lot of lore, so many of you thought I wouldn't be able to gather it all. But look how much research I did! I've got it better than maybe-actress-maybe-character Catherine, I'm sure :"]

Anyway, all the major plot points are covered above, so anyone who hasn't watched Doctor Who, feel free to refer to this and impress your Whovian friends with your knowledge! [not to be judgemental, but what a dreadfully Dr Seuss name, I rather like it]

[loracarol]

Went and saw Wicked pt 1 today and I just. Loved it so much.

(Somehow I managed to miss all the marketing / if there were any cast shenanigans, so this is SOLELY based on the movie itself and NOTHING else.) My thoughts, in no particular order (and with some spoilers ahead.)

My biggest fear was that the two leads would seem too old for the part, but they didn't.

I don't really listen to Ariana Grande that much? But her Glinda was PERFECT. She brought such lovely orange cat energy to the role; Glinda was so perfectly bitchy and stupid that it worked for me and I couldn't hate her, even when she was being The Worst (TM).

Also, both actresses have the "desperately trying not to cry" face down to perfection; Glinda in the opening song, trying to put on a brave face about "yes!! the witch is dead!!" but she looked like she was on the verge of tears the whole time? 10/10 no notes.

Whoever was in charge of doing the green skin did an excellent job. I don't know if it was CGI, practical, or a combo, but it looked really good IMO. They even gave her green freckles!!

THE DESERT FROM THE BOOKS.

BOQ IS FUCKING SPONGEBOB???

THE CHOREOGRAPHY. Parts of it were weird in a perfectly Ozian way! But others were gorgeous! Two scenes that got me were the ~Mysterious Stranger~ and Elphaba's mom and then Dancing Through Life esp. with the library. IYKYK.

Speaking of the library, I also liked the architecture.

It didn't feel too long to me? I was immersed the whole time, but that could just be me.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenowith have a cameo that is just beautiful.

There were several scenes that were shot where, if Elphie and Glinda kissed, I would have thought that was the natural progression of the scene BUT I also thought that Elphie had a spark with Fiyero which is good because 1. I'm an "Elphie has two hands" truther and 2. because if Elphie and Fiyero had no spark, that would be a problem in part 2. 🤣

(Like, they didn't fall in love which I wasn't expecting, but there was a spark. When they first meet, and she's going through her "yes, I know I'm green" checklist, "no, I didn't eat grass as a kid" is one of the things, and he's just like, "...I ate grass as a kid." Perfect. 10/10 no notes.)

I want to hold off my thoughts on Nessarose until part 2 and I see how they handle her, but there were several scenes were I thought, "you know, if she decided to go evil because people keep disrespecting her autonomy, I'd understand. I wish she'd focus on the people who were being disrespectful instead of being a despot, but like... I get it."

STOP GRABBING HER WHEELCHAIR.

I loved how they really put thought into how a goat would teach, with various foot pedals to operate his teaching equipment.

My Mom got actually sad about the lion cub. :(

Fiyero brought some "Chris Pines in Into the Woods" sluttiness. 10/10 no notes.

We need more Chris Pines in Into the Woods sluttiness.

The costuming in general made me Very Happy. I want the Shiz uniform, honestly.

Maybe I'll watch it again later and have Other Thoughts / more objective thoughts, but my first thought coming out of the theater was, "damn, this fucks."

I liked it a lot.

[musashi]

Musing on Movie!Nessa's Future in Part 2

A lot of people simultaneously expressing confusion alongside their celebration of Nessarose finally being played by a wheelchair user, because her being able to walk in act 2 is obviously a huge plot point--the spell cast on the shoes is what turns them into the ruby slippers which establishes the continuity and leads to a bunch of other plot threads, etc etc.

This is obviously the reason a lot of people give for her being played by an able-bodied actress in the past, it's obviously a bullshit reason because a huge majority of wheelchair users are ambulatory and can walk and stand for varying periods of time just fine. So like. They could have still had an ambulatory wheelchair user playing her, but I digress: the point is she is played by Marissa Bode in the movie. A wheelchair user, hurray!

These are just the opinions of someone who is not a wheelchair user so take them with a grain of salt (and please speak up if you have your own stuff to say as a member of the community!) but from what I can see as someone who's been insane about Wicked for about 15 years now, the movie did a lot of good for Nessa's character. Previously, the ableism toward her was baked into the metanarrative itself, but it's now been moved to a more realistic place--the characters within the story.

Previously Nessa was treated with little agency or autonomy not only by the characters but by the people writing the story. Most notably of all, her chair is constantly being grabbed and wheeled around by other characters. The movie corrects this--she is very rarely wheeled around except by her father (and he is called out for his coddling/infantilizing of her by Elphaba within 2 minutes of their introduction) and the one time a stranger tries to do this in what reads even to me as a genuinely traumatizing and far too familiar scene for any wheelchair user to have to sit through, Elphaba immediately fucking goes apeshit and starts throwing fucking furniture. Nessa herself also tries to advocate for herself and tell the professor in question to stop kidnapping/assaulting her and is, again, realistically not listened to.

This last bit obviously happens in the stage musical too but Nessa's own agency is much less pronounced. The movie adds little things here and there to give her more of that agency--Elphaba's protectiveness is much less "I have to help and watch over my poor disabled sister" and much more "I have to make sure no one underestimates or takes advantage of her." Even the plot detail that Elphaba was not there to be her caretaker but just to drop her off and make sure she got settled in her dorm adds leaps and bounds to Nessa's autonomy. Her and Boq's shared look in the opening ceremonies where they both bond beforehand at their inability to see over the crowds' standing ovation. And of course, the dance scene, where he no longer wheels her out but instead beckons her to follow him!

These little details add up in ways that are, at least in my opinion, very meaningful. They also extend to the production itself--where the sets were made accessible for Marissa and she was even allowed to do her own stunts, in her wheelchair! That part in the beginning where Elphaba levitates her was her in a harness in her fucking chair and all. Dope as FUCK.

So I am mentioning all of this because I think the people working on this movie have shown that they are unafraid to make changes to Nessa to be more respectful to her agency. The ableism she faces, which is still plentiful, is framed as such instead of just casually brushed off & baked into the narrative. By making these small changes, Nessa is not just an unfortunate stereotype of a disabled woman, but a real and fleshed-out person who is dealing with the consequences of those exact stereotypes in the society she lives in. I really liked that! I don't know how others feel about it, but I thought it was very well-shifted.

All that said, 'curing' your disabled character is obviously, like, the biggest no-no of writing a disabled character. And that plot beat is a huge one in every version of Wicked... so far. But here's the thing. We have a shot of Dorothy wearing the slippers. And they... are silver.

Why. Are they silver.

And they are silver in all of Dorothy's small little cameos. Every single one. Even though this shot, which was used primarily for promotional material to draw people in like "Hey! Wizord of Oz! This is What The Refrance!" did not make the choice to even suggest that they should ever be red. One of the most important pieces of iconography, consciously and notably absent.

I genuinely don't think Nessa's going to have her disability taken away in part 2. With how much love to this part of her has been done to the retooling of her character, I do not think it is a stretch to assume that they will find a way to advance the plot without removing her disability. I believe this because that is the right thing to do for Nessa, to ascend her character, however you feel about it--she should stay in her chair. She deserves to continue on the way she is.

I realize this little change effects a lot. But after seeing part one, I am confident they can do it and do it well and replace what the change takes away with something just as good. I have so much faith in the direction of these movies. I really, truly believe it will happen and it will be good and satisfying and perfect.

It might still happen, sure--Marissa might get a stunt double, or CGI, or some other brand of movie magic. The shoes may still get enchanted and stay silver to pay homage to the original Oz books. But I can't help but consider that idea and keep asking myself... why. That makes so much less sense. Why not give movie audiences the red slippers, draw them in with the imagery, give them one more lion cub in the bike basket or Boq talking about how much he cries or poppies putting the whole class to sleep. Why not give us the ruby slippers when you... could.

I think because this is going to be a big, long awaited improvement. And I think it is hiding there in plain sight.

[seaglasswrites]

So, able-bodied people on, like, TikTok or whatever have been having a field day talking about how Nessarose could never be played by a disabled actress because she gains the ability to walk at the end of the film.

And if you are one of those people, I’m going to try my best to explain this to you as nicely as possible: You know how when we’re kids, we think that our teachers live at the school and chocolate milk comes from brown cows? Well, it’s kind of like that. When we’re, like, 8, we think that all wheelchair users are paralyzed and physically can’t move their legs, but when we get older we realize that most wheelchair users can move their legs, and a lot of them can even walk.

The reason I used an example revolving around children being stupid is because if you actually don’t know what the word ambulatory means, I think you’re stupid. I think if you’re that uneducated about how disabled people’s bodies work, you probably aren’t old enough to use social media in the first place!

And I’m not exaggerating the level of sheer idiocy you have to possess to make these kinds of posts and comments: I literally saw someone say that maybe they’d string the movie actress up like they did for Cynthia during the scene where she flied! That’s genuinely the type of thing a little kid would believe!

To top it all off, these questions aren’t coming from a place of genuine interest and confusion; Literally every person I’ve seen has been reveling in the opportunity to be smug and superior to a stupid cripple. People are jumping at the chance to correct a disabled person about how our bodies work and what is and isn’t ableist.

Maybe I’m overly pissed, but I have a right to be! You people have a child’s understanding of how physical disability works without even a child’s compassion or benefit of the doubt. I’m happy to explain to Timmy, age 7, why the sky changes colors. I’m not happy to explain basic knowledge to a grown adult.

[wickedlyqueer]

Given that Movie Nessa is played by an actress who uses a wheelchair for real and that I've heard something about the people wanting to not do the whole "she's fixed" thing, it'll be intreresting to see how they portray her transition from "Elphaba's sister" to "The Wicked Witch of the East."

Part 2's gonna be interesting for sure.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Marissa Bode has said that at least the "fixing of Nessa's disability" portion will be differently handled in part 2.

And you could already very clearly see that in part 1! In the musical, Nessa is constantly pushed around and essentially babied by all the characters. And one of the best changes is that they gave Nessa so much more agency in that regard!

So I'm super excited to see how that arc unfolds in part 2!

[vintagetvstars]

Fran Drescher Vs. Itatí Cantoral

Propaganda

Fran Drescher - (The Nanny) - Name any other actress who is both The Flashy Girl From Flushing and President of the Screen Actors Guild 👏

Itatí Cantoral - (María la del Barrio) - People might not know her name or have seen her show, but they’ve seen the memes.

Master Poll List of the Hot Vintage TV Ladies Bracket

Additional propaganda below the cut

Fran Drescher:

Itatí Cantoral:

Everyone’s been asking what this is about, so:

Soraya is the lady and she is the villain of the show, she used the guy, who is obviously younger to get revenge on her enemy who is his mom and dad. The girl in the wheelchair is her stepdaughter, who’s father she had killed to take their money and she hates her obviously. She hates all of them, especially after that kiss and vows to kill them all.

TW: domestic violence, abuse, blood, murder, stabbing

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Dorothy Malone (The Big Sleep, Written on the Wind, The Tarnished Angels)—She is theeeeee b-movie actress, but her two Sirk melodramas are where she really shines--she's mesmerizing, electrifying, playing her roles with such nuance and conviction that you can't look away from her. And on top of all that talent she's like stupid hot. I mean good god just look at her.

Susan Peters (Random Harvest, Keep Your Powder Dry, Sign of the Ram)—Captivating on screen, as an ingenue she held her own against silver screen heavyweights Greer Garson and Ronald Colman in "Random Harvest" and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. George Cukor said she reminded him of "a young Katharine Hepburn." Her promising career was interrupted by a gunshot wound in a hunting accident that left her paralyzed, but she persevered, trying to find a place for herself in Hollywood despite being confined to a wheelchair, refusing to be treated like a victim. She said, “I would like to tell every actress—and every young girl, for that matter—to develop your capacities and forget your deficiencies. Everyone has some handicap, seen or unseen, recognized or unrecognized. Never underestimate yourself.”

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Dorothy Malone:

Susan Peters:

[prettyguardian-sailorbiscuit]

Seeing the unnecessary hate the actresses of the movie Wicked get is very upsetting.

One is being accused of being a diva (to the point of people making jokes about her feelings), just because she is paranoid (and has possible PTSD) for the fact that she is one of the many black people who's been told that she can't play as a character that was previously white

Another is hated for having her lifelong dream of playing a role that she's been praying for since she was a kid

And now, one is receiving ablest comments because she's in a wheelchair.

Like.....how do these people sleep at night??????

[h2shonotes]

Representation Matters: Wicked’s Long-Overdue Change

For over 21 years, #Wicked the Musical has been a Broadway commercial powerhouse. On stage is a progressive story about female friendship, discrimination, and governmental corruption, yet behind the curtain, its casting practices told a different story—one of exclusion.

No Black woman had ever been cast as Elphaba full-time on Broadway, and no wheelchair-using actor had ever played Nessarose. The resistance to change was so ingrained that when Cynthia Erivo auditioned for the Wicked movie, in an interview with the New York Times, the actress who is one O away from EGOT, confessed she didn’t believe the role was available to her. She had seen the gatekeepers keep the door shut for too long.

It took an Asian American director, Jon M. Chu, to create a ripple of change. He cast Erivo as Elphaba, breaking a two-decade barrier, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose—the first wheelchair-using actress to play the role. The movie became a cultural moment, proving that inclusion doesn’t just work—it is financially profitable.

And now, Broadway is following that lead. First came news of the casting of Lencia Kebede as the first Black actress permitted to perform the role of Broadway's Elpheba full-time. Recently announced, Jenna Bainbridge will become the first wheelchair-using actor to play Nessarose on stage, a direct result of the film’s impact.

There was no Broadway producer consciousness raising. Wicked the film's $720 million box office is what has had a ripple effect. This is why representation matters. When new voices break through, entire industries shift.

Much like the story of Wicked, we are learning in real time the consequences of misinformation and the destructiveness of authoritarianism. The new U.S. government under Trump is actively targeting DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives and threatening punishment for any private business or public institution standing for the values of the former republic. White nationalist officials ban books, erode health and education standards. mine the planet, defund the arts, scapegoat and erase the collective gains of women, people of color, marginalized communities.

Something bad is happening...

H2shO™️ is built on this belief—everyBODY deserves to be seen, heard, and included. Joy is a form of resistance. It is up to us to demand CHANGE. BE the change and financially support diverse projects and companies upholding DEI initiatives. Redirecting consumption is what reshapes business and societal priorities.

Large corporations spend millions lobbying for policies that protect their profitability. When businesses see commercial benefits in integrating equity and inclusion, they pressure lawmakers to align policies with these values. This is how we defy the gravity of the far right.