A Different Man star Adam Pearson ‘didn’t think disabled people were allowed in films’
Adam Pearson has shared how he almost didn’t become an actor (Picture: Francois G. Durand/Getty Images)
Adam Pearson has revealed he almost didn’t pursue a career in acting as he ‘didn’t think disabled people were allowed in films.’
The A Different Man star was born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a rare genetic condition which causes tumours to grow across a person’s nerves.
Pearson, 39, made his acting debut in Jonathan Glazer’s 2013 film Under The Skin after previously working on BBC and Channel 4 projects including casting on The Undateables.
But the actor almost never appeared on our screens after believing there wasn’t a place for disabled people in cinema.
‘I didn’t think disabled people were allowed in films, because I didn’t see any,’ he told The Guardian.
‘Up until quite recently, only two disabled actors have won Oscars playing disabled characters. And I’m like, “That’s pretty f****d up, right?”‘
He said a lack of disabled people on screen made him question his decision to become an actor (Picture: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Pearson stars alongside Sebastian Stan in A Different Man (Picture: A24/Matt Infante)
He continued: ‘I wanted to be a standup comic because I grew up on Joe Pasquale, Kenny Everett, Tommy Cooper. And everyone likes the funny guy.
‘Whether at the time it was just a thinly veiled defence mechanism I don’t know, that’s all too cod psychology for eight-year-old me to comprehend. But yeah, I was a real comedy buff from a really young age.’
Pearson stars alongside Sebastian Stan in A Different Man, Aaron Schimberg’s film which follows the story of aspiring actor Edward (Stan), a man suffering from neurofibromatosis who blames his looks for his lack of success.
Edward is told about an experimental procedure that could cure his facial disfigurement and decides to take part, which changes his life and his appearance after it cures his neurofibromatosis.
Pearson appears in the role of Oswald, a man who also suffers from neurofibromatosis and achieves rapid success despite his disability, causing Edward to reflect on what he has changed and lost.
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What is neurofibromatosis? According to the NHS, Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow along your nerves. The tumours are usually non-cancerous.
Symptoms include:
Birthmarks known as café au lait spots, which are light or dark brown patches that can be anywhere on the body
Soft, non-cancerous tumours on or under the skin (neurofibromas)
Clusters of freckles in unusual places – such as the armpits, groin and under the breast
Problems with the bones, eyes and nervous system
Neurofibromatosis type 2 is rarer but also causes tumours to grow along your nerves. You can also get other tumours inside the brain or spinal cord or along the nerves to the arms and legs.
Additional symptoms include:
Hearing loss that gradually gets worse over time
Hearing ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
Balance problems – particularly when moving in the dark or walking on uneven ground
‘People always think of the tragedy of going from being non-disabled to disabled,’ Pearson said, discussing the revolutionary representation of disability in the film.
‘And no one really talks about it going the other way. I often say that my disability does a lot of heavy lifting for my awful, awful personality,’ he joked.
‘But it also means I can get away with so much. I can behave thoroughly awfully and, at the end of the day, hold my hands up and go, “I’m disabled, I don’t know any better.”
‘And the whole world goes, “You’re right, you’re an inspiration and a hero. You go, girlfriend!” So if I had to operate within these new confines, I’d be like, “I don’t like playing by the rules one bit!”‘
A Different Man is in cinemas now.
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