Ironside and the disabled

NBC has done a remake of the TV show Ironside (formerly starting Raymond Burr). The 2013 version start Blair Underwood - who is not physically disabled.

In case you are in left field, Bob Ironside is a police detective who is confined to a wheelchair, due to an injury on the job.

Critics of the show are upset that the lead role was not filled by an actual handicap person.

How important is it to have a handicap actor play a handicap character.

Do you think that there are a sufficent number of TV charcters who are handicap?

 

So does that mean if you see a sign that says handicap parking, you will not park there?

Handicapp
a physical or mental condition that may limit what a person can do :

I am physically handicapped as I can no longer run.

Now that we got that off our chests, would you like to answer the OP?

 

The producers stated that many scenes are "flashbacks" when Ironside was not handicapped. Therefore it was imperative that an actor be able to walk in those scenes.

Hmm, I wonder if "handi-capable " would be sufficent.

 

:thumbs:

I suppose it would be based on the % of Americians who have such a handicap -
BUT what handicaps - Wheelchair, speech defect,
mental, ect, ect....
and of course you have to keep race in mind - so if you have a Spanish speaking Black/Indian, who is a Combat Veteran, that went to BJU......

 

Amy, you must stop confusing people with common sense.

Seriously, many actors have went to extreme measures to prepare for the roles.

 

So the handicap have no problme with an actor playing the role of an Indian? ie Johnny Depp - the link: Controversy arose over both the adoption and Depp's portrayal of a Native American character, as Depp was not raised in, nor has confirmable ancestry from, a Native American community, though he has said he "guesses" he may have some distant Cherokee or Creek ancestry.

Off topic a little bit - but the principal is the same: When I drove taxi for the handicap - I asked a blind person what a driver should do, if I picked up a blind customer with a dog and a person who has an allergy to dogs. He told me the blind person should always get priority. WHY?? They both have a disibility.
Interesting how some think only thier group should get special treatment - .....

 

Oh - that would just kill me