Jameela Jamil as Tahani, right, in The Good Place, via Independent.ie
Jamil Turns Down Deaf Role
Actress Jameela Jamil, currently on NBC’s The Good Place, recently refused to fill a role best fit for a deaf actress. Jamil tells the Press Association, “[I]t wouldn’t be appropriate for me to take that role and they should find a brilliant deaf woman to play that role. I think you have to make those choices and not be too greedy and make space rather than take space.”
Hollywood’s hiring practices have always been a grey area: Sometimes we get the good, and sometimes we get the bad. The Daily Moth points out that C.J. Jones’s role in Baby Driver shows a change in how Hollywood takes a look at deaf roles and actors. They also point out that progress is slow, citing Bryan Cranston’s latest role in a wheelchair (when he obviously does not have a disability).
We look forward to seeing this upcoming mystery film, and who Hollywood decides should fill the deaf role.