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18 Terrible Portrayals Of Disabilities Onscreen
Recently, Reddit user Stocklit asked about the worst onscreen portrayals of characters with disabilities — and they're really bad. Here are 18 times neurotypical actors played autistic or intellectually disabled characters…and did NOT do a good job. Freddie Highmore plays Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism, on The Good Doctor. While the show was wildly popular, lasting seven seasons, many people felt the show fed into stereotypes about autism — especially autistic people being savants with special skills. Murphy also exhibits problematic behaviors and comments that are blamed on his autism, like the time he does not respect pronouns. People with autism, in particular, found the portrayal problematic. As Sarah Kurchak writes for Time, the character "struck me as more of an amalgamation of non-autistic people's misconceptions, fears, and fantasies about autism than a nuanced exploration of what it's actually like to be someone like me." Oh, and none of the writers or cast members on the show were autistic until the seventh season. Elizabeth Shue's performance as the titular character in Molly is borderline unwatchable. In the film, she plays an autistic woman who acts like a child. She pees her pants, shouts "NO!" a lot, and gets naked surgery to literally fix her autism, placing this movie in the "disabilities need to be fixed" trope. Oh, and she has super hearing, for some reason, in case you forgot the "autistic people=savants" trope. They threw in some incest vibes and the r–slur for good measure. Gigli was filled with problems — don't get me started on Jennifer Lopez's character asking for oral sex with "gobble gobble" — but one of the worst parts was Justin Bartha's portrayal of a man with an unspecified disability. Bartha gave what was referred to as a "cringe-y" and "wildly offensive performance" of the character Brian, relying on an overly exaggerated, stereotypical portrayal. The Guardian wrote, "The character (and the performance) came off as a slapdash Rain Man riff when the film came out, and time has certainly not improved it." The character was also little more than a plot device. The Blind Side doesn't really assign a specific disability to Michael Oher, but it portrays him as having an extremely low IQ and apparent cognitive issues. Oher himself criticized this portrayal, saying, "I felt like it portrayed me as dumb instead of as a kid who never had consistent academic instruction and ended up thriving once he got it." Portraying Oher as potentially having cognitive impairments just fed into the white savior narrative of the film. Oh, and there was the wildly dumb part about Oher scoring low on everything but "protective instinct." John Travolta's portrayal of an autistic man who is obsessed with an actor in The Fanatic was called "too scatter-shot and offensive to be funny" and a "woefully misguided, over-the-top, fence swinging performance delivered packed with equal parts actorly indulgence and ignorance." Other critics called Travolta's performance "cringe-worthy" and said Travolta "comes across like a grown man trying to imitate a first-grader." Another said the film was "a brainless, exploitative folly which gives John Travolta free rein to mine the history of cringe-worthy autism portrayals for an offensively garish Frankenstein pantomime of unhinged obsession." The film also suggests autistic people are obsessive and dangerous, explaining Travolta's messed-up behavior away with his autism. The very premise of The Lawnmower Man is offensive. In the film, a scientist experiments on a man with an intellectual disability to make him smarter (and, in the process, more aggressive). Not only does this perpetuate the idea that people with disabilities need to be "fixed," it also makes use of the r–slur. Jeff Fahey, who played the main character, also played him as a "cringe-worthy" caricature, according to this review, "with his over‑the‑top mannerisms and wooden delivery robbing the character of any shred of credibility or humanity." IMDB reviewers called Rosie O'Donnell's portrayal of a woman named Beth with a disability in Riding the Bus With My Sister a "grotesque caricature" and "insulting." This review from That Film Guy wrote, "O'Donnell's performance is all comedic gurning, overly-affected gesturing and unintentionally silly voices. ... Her entire performance is constantly one or two notches too high. It feels like an offensive impersonation of somebody with Beth's condition, rather than a believable or moving representation." Sia casting neurotypical dancer Maddie Ziegler as a nonverbal autistic girl in her film Music a choice. The movie was panned and called ableist, with reviews noting Ziegler's performance was like a caricature of an autistic person. It also faced criticism for its portrayal of the use of restraint on autistic people, which is not recommended and can be dangerous and even fatal. This example is also especially bad due to the way Sia handled the criticism. Backlash to the film was strong even before it came out, and Sia only made things worse during the film's promotion. At one point, when an autistic actor called her out for not casting someone like her, Sia replied, "Maybe you're just a bad actor." Sia also stated she "actually tried working with a beautiful young girl, nonverbal on the spectrum, and she found it unpleasant and stressful." Sia later apologized for her problematic depiction and then deleted her Twitter account. It wasn't so much that Jacob Tremblay's portrayal of an autistic child in Predator was problematic (though he is another example of a neurotypical actor being cast in a neurodivergent role), but the film did play into other problematic autism tropes. Namely, it reinforced the notion that autistic people are savants – but it did this to an extreme, suggesting they're evolutionarily advanced. One writer called this depiction a "regressive, ill-conceived catastrophe." A Salon review more diplomatically called it "strange," asking, "Does it really help members of the autistic community to be reduced to a broad stereotype — even a positive one — instead of depicted as individuals with their own unique quirks and foibles? If a movie perpetuates a stereotype with the best intentions, does that make it any less problematic? And if an autistic person is viewed as a prize to be won because of his or her autism, is that not still a form of objectification?" The Accountant also paints autistic people as savants, with an Inverse review stating it "quickly devolves into the kind of glib savant stereotype that has plagued the autism community since Rain Man." The review also points out that at one point, "a neurologist running a school for kids with mental disorders that Wolff attended as a child tells a new couple that their son could grow up to be special as well, positing some kind of X-Men-like academy that preps new generations of autistic super-agents." Suggested by u/CatDaddy1135 "Anything truly progressive the movie tried to convey about the disorder is meaningless, because the conclusion you draw from it is that autism is what helped him and others like him to become superhuman killing machines," the review continues. The film also reinforces the idea that people with disabilities, and autism in particular, are dangerous. Both Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribis were criticized for their roles in the rom-com The Other Sister, where they played two people with intellectual disabilities who fall in love. Famed critic Rober Ebert wrote in his one-star review that the "offensive" film was "shameless" in its use of their disabilities as "a gimmick, a prop and a plot device." He continued, "It treats the characters like cute little performing seals" who spout dialogue meant to display their disability, "with perfect timing and an edge of irony and drama. Their zingers slide out with the precision of sitcom punch lines." Shaun Cassidy and Linda Purl's performances as two people with disabilities who fall in love in Like Normal People are also not great, particularly Purl's. As one Letterboxd user points out, Purl "is a cartoon with her whiny voice and her deeply offensive display of over-the-top mannerisms. It's the very worst performance I have ever seen from her." The film also reinforces the notion that people with disabilities don't or shouldn't have autonomy, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. Adam Sandler never actually played a character with a specific disability, but many of his characters are implied to have low social and intellectual prowess. His character in The Waterboy was specifically referred to as "slow", which is often understood as an ableist reference to possessing an intellectual or learning disability. The character was even called the r–slur. His character's "slowness" is played for laughs, as is his stutter. There's Something about Mary also makes use of the r–slur and plays Warren's disability for laughs, as well as a plot device to impart Mary's "goodness" on the viewer. Warren is very much played as a stereotype, and even co-director Peter Farrelly stated there was one thing he'd change about the character. "I would have used an actor with an intellectual disability instead of another actor. Even though, by the way, the actor in it was incredible, there's too many actors out there with intellectual disabilities who don't get those opportunities," Farrelly said, reflecting on his decision to cast an actor, W. Earl Brown, without a disability. Suggested by u/Upset_Bowler_8820 Technically, Duddits (portrayed by Donnie Wahlberg) from Dreamcatcher is an alien, but he is portrayed at least at first as having a in itself seems to call people with disabilities "alien." The r–slur is used multiple times, and Wahlberg's portrayal is less than favorable — he also has, for no real reason, a lisp. Kevin Bacon's portrayal of a man with a disability who befriends a young Evan Rachel Wood in Digging to China was also less than ideal. The Seattle Times wrote in its review, "Bacon is a gifted actor, and it would be nice to report that he pulls it off, but in too much of Digging to China, his twitching and posturing is transparently the work of an actor trying too hard." While perhaps not the worst example on this list, Bacon is a neurotypical actor, and his performance fails to live up to anything resembling reality for people with disabilities. Suggested by u/Apt_5 Team America: World Police parodied a bunch of celebs, but its portrayal of Matt Damon felt extra problematic. In the film, they portrayed Damon as wildly dumb, only able to say his own name. According to Damon, the reason for this was: "The puppet came in looking kind of mentally deficient and they didn't have time to change it, so they just made me someone who could really only say his own name." This reasoning reveals that the joke of Damon's character was not just that he was dumb — they were clearly trying to paint him as having a disability (suggesting that people with disabilities are dumb), and playing it for laughs. Suggested by u/Shot_Bison1140 And finally, while Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an autistic man in Rain Man was, at the time, near-universally praised, in the ensuing years, fans have found some problems — namely that Kim Peek, on whom Hoffman was based, did not have autism. He was a savant, but not all savants are people with autism (and vice versa), as we've established in this post. Though it's worth noting the character was also based on Bill Sackter, who was diagnosed as having a disability.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL ALUMNI LAUNCHES "FATHERHOOD CHAMPIONS" PROGRAM TO EMPOWER DADS
Retired NFL stars host "Training Camp for Dads" to offer practical tips, encouragement and tools, emphasizing the essential role that fathers play in their children's lives NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Former NFL players are lining up to spotlight the important role of fathers and provide the skills and tools needed to become "Fatherhood Champions." The Fatherhood Champions Program, launched by the National Football League Alumni Association (NFL Alumni) and supported through a grant from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, celebrates dads and the impact fathers have on their children and families, and offers practical tools and skills to make their roles more impactful. Several former NFL greats are serving as NFL Alumni Ambassadors for the Program, including former Houston Oilers All-Pro, Pro Bowl linebacker and NFL Alumni national lead ambassador Al Smith; former Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers tackle Michael Oher; former Tennessee Titans long snapper Ken Amato; former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson; former Tennessee Titans and Houston Oilers All-Pro, Pro Bowl offensive tackle Brad Hopkins; former Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Winston Justice; and former Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro, Pro Bowl running back and punt returner Dexter McCluster. NFL Alumni hosted a Training Camp for Dads on June 21 at the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Center at Belmont University in collaboration with New Life Center and Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Hundreds of families joined the event, the purpose of which was to raise awareness of the essential roles of fathers in promoting healthy families and provide helpful tips and resources on parenting and co-parenting, maintaining physical and mental health, job training and career development. Expectant fathers were offered coaching on car seat installation, diaper changing, feeding, and child safety tips. "Being a father is about showing up as a leader where it matters most and that's with your family," said Smith. "On the field, I learned discipline, teamwork, dependability and accountability. Now I want to help other men bring those same values into their families." Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence H. Carter, who joined NFL Alumni for the June 21 Training Camp for Dads, said, "Strong families build healthy communities, and fathers play a vital role in that foundation. We're proud to support this program because when we invest in fathers, we're investing in better outcomes for children and families across Tennessee." Oher, a Tennessee native and former Titans tackle who won a championship with the Baltimore Ravens, knows the impact of having a stable family life. His story of struggle, resilience and success on the gridiron is widely known. "Growing up without a steady father figure taught me how critical it is for dads to be present, involved, and supportive," Oher said. "That's why I'm proud to be part of this program. I want to help dads understand the impact they have in shaping their children's lives and building stronger families." McCluster, former running back and Pro-Bowl punt-returner for the Tennessee Titans and the father of five daughters, said while football has taught him about "life and sacrifices," fatherhood has taught him so much more. "As part of this program, we'll talk about fatherhood skills and how to make sure we are present for our kids," said McCluster. "We'll lean on, learn from, and support each other, because 'dad' is the most important role we'll ever take on." For more information about the NFL Alumni Fatherhood Champions Program, visit Media Assets from the Training Camp for Dads can be found below: Link to Photos Link to Sizzle Reel Link to B-roll About NFL Alumni Founded in 1967 by a small group of successful retired NFL players, NFL Alumni is one of the oldest and most well-respected retired player organizations in professional sports. NFL Alumni's mission is to inform, assist, and serve players in their post-NFL lives. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NFL Alumni Association Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Steelers land franchise OT Michael Oher in 2009 redraft
Steelers land franchise OT Michael Oher in 2009 redraft The 2008 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers ended in a Super Bowl championship in one of the greatest games ever played. This put the Steelers at pick No. 32 in the 2009 NFL draft. It's hard to be too critical of the Steelers pick despite the fact that defensive tackle Ziggy Hood didn't work out as a pro. But what if they could do it all over again? This is what Pro Football Focus did when they redrafted the first round of the 2009 draft using their draft grades as a guide. In their redraft, they gave the Steelers former Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher. Oher spent eight seasons in the NFL and started all 110 games he played in. Oher was originally drafted No. 23 overall by the Baltimore Ravens. Oher never made a Pro Bowl or was named as an All-Pro. Having Oher as the 32nd-best player in this draft highlights just how bad the 2009 draft was. The Detroit Lions got it right with Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall but even looking at the rest of the Steelers picks, you can see just how bad it was. Wide receiver Mike Wallace was the Steelers best pick in the third round. He went No. 17 overall in the redraft.
