An upcoming biopic about the life of Helen Keller, titled Helen and Teacher, has prompted a discussion about casting, after Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds was chosen to play the DeafBlind activist.
The 18-year-old actress, known for her role in the horror film A Quiet Place, took to Instagram on Thursday to share the news, which she described as a “role of a lifetime”.
“Humbled and honoured to portray one of the most extraordinary women of our time,” she added.
Several outlets have also reported that Simmonds is a distant cousin of Keller.
However, DeafBlind advocates have since criticised the decision, arguing that the job should have been given to a DeafBlind actress.
Loni Freidmann, a Deaf American Sign Language instructor who has more than 9,800 followers on Instagram, said she was “taken aback” by the news.
“[It’s the] same concept with hearing people taking over Deaf roles. If DeafBlind roles happen, allow DeafBlind people to take those roles.
“It feels extremely wrong how that role is being taken over. Deaf people do not understand what it is like being DeafBlind. How can a Deaf sighted person understand this?
“That doesn’t show the authenticity in Hollywood movies. There is still not enough Deaf representation – still a slow progress with diversity,” she said.
Haben Girma, DeafBlind author and speaker, wrote on Twitter: “I know many #Deafblind people with powerful stories to share. I’m sad Hollywood keeps reducing us to a single story.
“Once again they cast a sighted actor to pretend to be blind. When will Hollywood show the stories of Deafblind people of color?”
Meanwhile, Max Fisher, a DeafBlind content creator, commented: “Yesss! Our community should have our roles. Imagine if a different disabled person had been cast, and they were a wheelchair user… people would be so quick to criticise the ‘inaccuracy’.
“Deaf is not ‘close enough’ to DeafBlind. I’m dreading the film, honestly,” they said.
Underneath Simmonds post, one Instagram user responded: “Why you? Why not a Deafblind ones? [sic] Did you all not learn enough about representation? […] Think about your privileges, @milliesimm!”
Another replied: “It is supposed be [a] DeafBlind person as an actor not just [a] deaf and seeing person. Give the DeafBlind person an opportunity to be acting as a DeafBlind person, to support the recognise [sic] of the DeafBlind community.”
“Gongrats to you for your role as Helene Keller [sic] . But I want to know why the movie makers don’t choose a DeafBlind person? I think this more authentic,” wrote a third.
Comments are currently limited on Simmonds’ Instagram account. The Limping Chicken has reached out to her representatives for comment.
According to the film magazine Empire, Helen and Teacher will be set in the “early 1900s” when Keller was at Harvard’s Radcliffe College and her “rapidly expanding worldview” conflicted with that of teacher Anne Sullivan (who will be played by Rachel Brosnahan).
“When Sullivan is courted by the young and brilliant publisher, John Macy, tensions escalate between the two women that threaten the bonds of their friendship,” they report.
Still Alice director Wash Westmoreland will direct the film, which is based on a screenplay which he wrote with Laetitia Mikles in consultation with the Helen Keller National Center for Youth and Adults.
Production on Helen and Teacher is expected to get underway in the summer of 2022.
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.
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Terry Paget
October 17, 2021
I am equivocal about this. On the one hand, I follow and do not disagree with the criticisms of the role-casting. On the other, however, what about the quality of the acting – Millicent Simmonds is an actor (I’m old-fashioned, I prefer ‘actress’) and deserves to be appraised for her acting, not her disability (or degree of disability). I well remember John Mills acting the part of, as it were, the village idiot in Ryan’s Daughter. This film, when it first came out, caused me, at my then age, to reflect on acting and the people they were ‘representing’. Caused me to think of what the actor did in order to personify so well such a character.
In short, let us evaluate the acting, not the inherent features of the actor. Does she project the difficulties (being neutral) experienced of the subject they are personifying?
And, Yes, before anyone asks, I do know who Helen Keller is and know of her tremendous achievements.
JG
October 19, 2021
Your position could be used for hearing actors playing deaf roles. However, this has already been determined to be unequivocally unethical and inauthentic by the community and, finally, society at large.
The same rationale you used was applied to SEE, a popular TV series on Apple+, where the main cast is played by all sighted hearing people. Their (producers and casting directors) excuse was that there weren’t any blind actors that were skilled enough to fit the bill…but let’s consider this, what opportunities have been given to blind hearing actors to improve in their craft in the past 50 years or so? Can you remember the last time you saw an actual blind actor playing in a major or supporting role onscreen?
SEE would have been a wonderful opportunity for many blind actors to breakout in major roles so this was a major miss by Apple for not truly following through having FULL representation on both sides of the screen. Background actors aren’t sufficient to fulfill the expectations of true representation on screen, which is what SEE currently has. With so many blind hearing actors continuing to struggle with opportunities for representation onscreen…DeafBlind people certainly fare far worse with accurate representation in media.
Let’s try re-examining your position from this lens… would you arrive at the same conclusion?
Tim
October 19, 2021
Well said, JG. The idea that lived experience of being DeafBlind is somehow irrelevant to this role is ludicrous.
It reminds me of that daft argument RNID would use to justify not hiring Deaf people – “best person for the job irrespective of disability.” Just daft and oppressive.
MrsGsPhace
October 20, 2021
So I will be boycotting this movie at all cost I don’t appreciate a Deaf “advocate” as she claims to be taking opportunities away from culturally appropriate individuals who might have just the skills Hollywood needs; did she ever think about THAT?! Let’s see, she stole the opportunity so how does one gain more skills? This is a catch 22 problem I see all over the place as JG said, how do hearing blind people gain the skills if there are no opportunities because sighted people take on their roles that they shouldn’t?
I also noticed one other problem for the limping chicken, you only list tags related to deaf in this article please add #DeafBlind #DeafBlind Culture #DeafBlind identity #DeafBlind news in your tag list in this article at the very bottom while it won’t improve your SEO but rather the more you use appropriate tags and the more other content creators use it the more visibility we’ll have as a DeafBlind community. You don’t even have to remove any of the “deaf” only tags but please add DeafBlind as well after all this is about DeafBlind issues too and thank you 🙂
Koree
October 22, 2021
I’m curious how the author feels about Loni Friedmann now identifying herself as deaf /blind?