The Making of ‘Out of My Mind': Inside the groundbreaking Disney+ film redefining disability representation on screen

Yahoo

05-06-2025

The team behind the Disney+ film Out of My Mind — producer Peter Saraf, director Amber Sealey, writer Daniel Stiepleman, and star Phoebe-Rae Taylor — joined together for a special Gold Derby "Making Of" panel to share how they adapted Sharon Draper's beloved novel into a film that's both deeply personal while also delivering a powerful message about inclusion and identity. 'Watching the film and taking home the lessons in it will make the world a better place,' says Sealey.
For Saraf, the project began at home. 'I read the book because my daughter told me to read it,' he shares. 'She read it as many students do in school.' It didn't take long for Saraf to recognize the novel's cinematic potential — not just because of Draper's powerful storytelling, but also because of her lived experience. 'Sharon Draper … was a teacher, a mom of a child with cerebral palsy, and she's a wonderful writer. So all of that combines to create this incredible story that we knew should be a great movie.'
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Recognizing its potential, Saraf brought the book to screenwriter Stiepleman. For him, it was a meaningful opportunity to revisit his own past. 'In my previous life, before I was a writer, I was a teacher,' Stiepleman explains. 'And so I have obviously never been Melody [the main character played by Taylor], but I had been Mr. Dimming. And sometimes I did that job well, and sometimes I didn't.' Seeing the story through Melody's eyes became a moment of reflection and empathy. 'I went back to Peter and said, 'You have to let me write this movie.''
A pivotal step in the adaptation process was casting Melody, a nonverbal girl with cerebral palsy. 'We knew that we had to find a girl that right age, a girl with CP and a girl who could act,' says Saraf. 'We did a search all over the world.' Among the many auditions, one stood out: Phoebe-Rae Taylor. 'Phoebe-Rae was just the absolute perfect person to play the part,' he said. Sealey wholeheartedly agreed. 'As soon as we found her, we were like, it's her. ... Even Sharon, the book's author, said, 'Cast that girl before she gets too old.''
Disney+
For Taylor, discovering the character of Melody as a child was a transformative experience. 'When I was about 7 or 8, I read the book in school and I loved it,' she recalls. 'I've never seen a character like me before. ... I remember I came home that day and I screamed to my parents, 'My God, guess what, I found a character like me.'' Years later, that early connection became a life-changing opportunity. 'Even now I have no words for it … this has been the most unreal three years of my life and the best three years of my life,' she shared. 'I've learnt so much ... and now I've got a confidence that I'm really grateful for.'
One of the most unique creative challenges was translating Melody's inner monologue — so vital in the novel — into a cinematic language. 'What is the voice of a character who has never heard their own voice?' Saraf asks. The unexpected answer came from Phoebe herself: Jennifer Aniston. 'Jennifer Aniston has always been and always will be my favorite actor,' Phoebe says. 'To have her know I exist is enough, because I really am obsessed with her.' Aniston ultimately agreed to lend her voice to Melody's thoughts, adding a personal and emotional layer to the film. The film also stars Rosemarie DeWitt and Luke Kirby as Melody's parents and Judith Light as a family friend.
According to Sealey, the production itself was a rare kind of collaborative harmony. 'This film has been the gift that keeps on giving,' she says. 'We all had the same mission ... wanting the set to be completely inclusive.' She also credits Taylor with setting the tone for that inclusive environment through her courage and performance. 'She just blew me away — how willing she was to really go there.'
The film's heartfelt impact has been met with critical acclaim, garnering a Peabody Award, Critics Choice Awards nominations for Best Limited/Movie Actress for Taylor, and Best TV Movie, a Directors Guild Award win for Sealey, and a Writers Guild Award nomination for Stiepleman.
But for Sealey, no recognition compares to the impact the film has had on its audience. 'Almost daily I get messages from kids on Instagram who have cerebral palsy or are disabled in a different way. They send a message saying, 'Thank you for making this movie. It touched me. That's me up there.''
This article and video are presented by Disney.
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