Financially, mentally, physically or otherwise...most actors are at least a little broke. Host/actress Sam Valentine brings you advice, tips, and real stories (of success AND failure) from people in and around the acting industry right now. So you feel a little more “whole” and a little less alone in Hollywood. From auditions and the day-to-day life of working actors to getting agents/managers, we cover it all.
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episode 3: Bionic Actor & Disability Advocate Angel Giuffria
Angel Giuffria, bionic woman and disability advocate, can be seen on Chicago Med, FBI: Most Wanted, Snowpiercer, as well as on films such as The Tomorrow War. Today, she joins Sam to dissect her experience in the industry and the nuances of being an actor with a limb difference. Having been born with only one arm, Angel speaks about how her mom always taught her that what makes her different is actually her strength. She mentions the harm that came along with having such low visibility of disabled people in media when growing up, and how that translated into her believing she shouldn't take up too much space when acting on set. It wasn't until Director Martin Campbell made her a featured extra on the film Green Lantern that she began to see that she could (and should) take up space — that she could act in roles that had nothing to do with her disability.
Angel also speaks about the how far commercials have come in regards to disability representation and just how far TV and Film still have to go. In terms of her acting career, Angel goes into depth about how her disability has shifted her casting type and how it even changed the framing of her headshots. She explains her feelings on abled actors portraying characters with disabilities, how to make stories more inclusive, the need to make sets and casting offices more accommodating to those with disabilities, her thoughts on being labeled "inspirational" for simply doing everyday tasks, the value of having disability consultants on set, and how the industry should work towards having more diversity across the board in every category. At the end of the day, we all love this industry and should want to open up opportunities for all actors of every community to be able to audition for any role. That love for what we do doesn't mean it's not a difficult industry to be in. While Angel has a Master's degree in Psychology, acting is what makes her heart whole and what she chooses to continue to pursue despite all of its ups and downs. When things get tough, she reminds us that we all just have to keep going and try to do the things that remind us why this is the thing we simply can't not do.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Angel's IG
- Working Actor Workshop
- Make It Big App
- Actors/Shows Discussed: Marlee Matlin, Robert David Hall on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Charlize Theron on Mad Max: Fury Road, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on Skyscraper, Kurt Yaeger on Sons of Anarchy, Anya Taylor-Joy on Furiosa, Autumn Best on CW's 4400 Remake, Zyra Gorecki on La Brea, and Steve Way in Ramy.
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