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Little people (LPs) are most often portrayed by the media as science
fiction or fantasy creatures.
I personally don't have a problem with playing these roles. I most recently
played a goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and it was
a great experience.
However, it is important that LPs be given the chance to be seen in 'normal',
everyday roles and as background artists. This would encourage a more
healthy attitude towards LPs - and less of the ignorance that we encounter
day to day.
Famous LP actor Warwick Davis started out as an Ewok in Star Wars. He
later found fame as the lead role in the fantasy film Willow. Most recently,
he played the part of Professor Flitwick and the Goblin Banker in Harry
Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Yet he rarely gets to be seen as himself.
One of the latest topics to be discussed by LP actors is the film Lord
of the Rings.
Brian Kline, an LP actor, was up for the part of Gimli the Warrior in
Lord of the Rings. He spent seven months dealing with the casting director,
making calls to both the director and New Line Cinema.
He attended two auditions - one with the director. All the auditions
were put on tape. This took four months. Three months later he was told
he hadn't got the part. "The news was devasting", says Brian.
"There are LPs that could have done just as well and been more believable".
During filming it was decided that LPs would not be used as the hobbits
(although Tolkein in his book states that they did not reach greater than
4ft 6ins in height). Instead, average sized people were used with special
effects to make them appear smaller.
Which begs the question: with the increased use of special effects, what
does the future hold for LPs in the Media?
Another problem for LPs, faced by Lisa Hammond, another LP actress,
is choosing your alliance.
"Was I 'a little person' or was I 'disabled'?" she asks.
"I certainly felt that I fall very much into both categories...
so I didn't think it mattered much to my acting career that I made a choice.
"How wrong. I began to find that there was a world of difference
between the two pigeon holes - especially in the business.
"I learned that the actor who was ONLY little was still struggling
against the simplest things like only being put up for jobs that are in
costumes of aliens, the troll under the bridge or bloody snow white. Whereas
there is a substantial growth in the amount of disabled actors being considered
for the most diverse range of parts. I choose to be 'disabled' now."
The way ahead is to encourage the TV and film industries to use more
LP actors in 'normal' everyday roles thus creating a more realistic representation
of the world and the people who live in it.
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