It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since meeting Norman Lear and going on to do The Facts of Life all those years ago.
As they say in show business, I was in the right place at the right time when I met Norman Lear. I was asked to perform at the Media Access Awards by Fern Field. After my routine, Norman came up to me and said, “You were very funny kid, but you are way ahead of your time.” Without missing a beat, I flat panned back, “Well, then wait a few months!” About three months later, Norman did call me. He’d written a character with a disability into a script and cast me to play Cousin Geri on a new sitcom called Facts of Life. I was the first actor with an identifiable physical disability to appear as a recurring character on primetime.
You know, we’ve come a long way in the decades since, and I’m so grateful to have witnessed, and been a part of, this progress. We can applaud recent performances by a list of talented actors like Chris Burke, Micah Fowler, RJ Mitte, Ryan O’Connell, Daryl Mitchell and Jamie Brewer, just to name a few. But the fact is, we haven’t come far enough. To this day, among regular characters on primetime TV in the 2018-2019 season, only 2.1% had disabilities. And yet, 25% of the U.S. population has some form of a disability. Something is out of balance.
There is outstanding talent in the disability community. We’ve all seen it, and we all know the truth – there is a lot more where that came from. There are still so many of us who don’t receive the opportunities we deserve because of our disabilities. There are too many rooms of powerful people who would rather continue to hire those who look like them, sound like them, and have the same abilities as them, and why? Because it’s perceived easier. Disability inclusion is an afterthought in the entertainment community. However, if you stop and think about it, imitation ice cream is never as rich and loved as real ice cream. This also applies to qualified performers with disabilities. There is an authentic richness that we can bring to roles, that cannot be matched otherwise.
Maybe you’re wondering – where do I find this talent? How can I possibly be inclusive when I don’t know where to look or how to start? I have answers for you. There are tools to help you find actors, writers, directors, designers with disabilities. There is the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge which sheds light on talented filmmakers, actors, and writers who are given the chance to shine, and go on to work on award-winning shows with blossoming careers. Use this as a resource for your projects – take advantage of the opportunity it gives you to create more authentic work that reflects what it’s like to be human. I participated in Easterseals Red Carpet event. And there, speaking before a theater filled with hundreds of talented creatives with disabilities, one thing became crystal clear to me: this resource is truly a gold mine, and television executives like you should take advantage of it!
We just celebrated the 40th annual Media Access Awards to honor industry professionals who have advanced disability-related narratives in all fields of our industry: writing, producing, casting, performance, and directing. Looking for inspiration, look to your peers who are honored at the Media Access Awards. They are doing great work.
My gratitude is strong, but the fight in me has not gone away. Things are changing, and that’s where you come in. Speaking recently at the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, I’m wowed. Look around you, and think about all of the amazing work that’s been done, and largely by people in this room. Everyone here, you are a part of important progress in diversity and inclusion, and I thank you for being here.
Being born with cerebral palsy, has presented some unique challenges in my life, as you can imagine. I spent many years in speech, physical, and occupational therapy to help me optimize my abilities, and I’m proud to stand before you today with the progress I’ve made. I grew up with a family that supported me, helped me foster a healthy sense of humor about myself, which laid the groundwork when I started doing standup comedy at The Comedy Store in 1978.
My dream as a kid was to be a comedic actress like my idol Carol Burnett. I had a pen pal relationship with her from the time I was about 12 or 13. She wrote me at that time, telling me that there was no guarantee that I would become professional, that there were no guarantees in life. Period. But no one knows what they can do, unless they put out the effort and try. And that is what I did!
Companies who hire qualified people with disabilities outperform their peers. It’s more than a powerful statement – it’s a fact with research to back it up. People with disabilities hold value in every workplace in ways we can’t even imagine, because we haven’t fully seen it yet.
I want everyone to remember that your voice and your actions are powerful. Each of us has a privilege and a responsibility to lift up artists that deserve our attention, and to share the microphone with voices that aren’t being heard yet. Write them into scripts in meaningful roles. Among others, Norman Lear and David Milch did that for me, and it changed my life forever. Now let’s continue to keep changing the world together.
Actor, comedian, disability advocate, author and speaker Geri Jewell is most famous for her role as Geri Warner on NBC’s celebrated comedy “The Facts of Life.” This acting gig made her the first person with a visible disability to have a recurring role on primetime series, as well as being the first woman with cerebral palsy. Back in 1980, it was Norman Lear, television’s iconic producer and the man who has been an unwavering force behind inclusion and social equality who gave her this first shot. He discovered this “jewel” of an actor at the 2nd Annual Media Access Awards where she performed a very funny stand-up routine. Throughout her career, she has remained a staunch disability advocate, including appearing in a number of Easterseals telethons. Today, Geri Jewell is an accomplished, working actor with a re-occurring role in the multi-Emmy-winning series “Deadwood,” and most recently “The Deadwood Movie” on HBO and featured in the upcoming movie, “Carol of the Bells.”