Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, a star from the ‘Jackass’ franchise, has joined other actors with dwarfism in voicing their concerns over Hollywood’s recent trend of eliminating roles for little people in the name of “wokeness.” The controversy emerged when Disney faced backlash over its live-action remake of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ last year.
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Famed actor Peter Dinklage, who is also a person with dwarfism, expressed his disapproval of the traditional portrayal of dwarfish characters in the classic fairy tale. In response, Disney announced its intention to consult with the dwarfism community and reassess how to proceed with the remake.
Fast forward to this year, and Disney revealed that it eliminated all but one dwarf character from the film. The roles were given to full-sized actors of different ethnicities and genders, leaving only one dwarf actor in the cast. This decision sparked fresh criticism from many actors with dwarfism who felt that their opportunities were being taken away and given to non-dwarf actors.
Wee Man, in an interview with TMZ, criticized the upcoming ‘Snow White’ film, which features Rachel Zegler as Snow White, and argued that roles like the seven dwarfs should be portrayed by actors with dwarfism. He questioned the decision to hire full-sized actors instead and urged Disney to go back to the drawing board and recast the roles accordingly.
The debate goes beyond ‘Snow White,’ as the upcoming Warner Bros. film ‘Wonka’ also faced backlash for replacing actors with dwarfism with digitally altered images of actor Hugh Grant, who is portraying one of the Oompa-Loompa characters.
British actor George Coppen expressed concerns that little people are being “pushed out” of the film industry due to the fear studios have of misrepresenting or mishandling such characters in the pursuit of a more inclusive approach.
In conclusion, actors like Wee Man are raising their voices against the exclusion of little people from roles that have historically been portrayed by actors with dwarfism. They urge Hollywood to prioritize genuine representation and diversity while considering the impact of their casting decisions on underrepresented communities.
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