LONDON (AP) — Matthew Shardlake steps out of the pages of the late C.J. Sansom’s popular historical mystery novels and into a new show, bringing with him disability representation.
“We don’t see a lot of leading disabled characters,” says Arthur Hughes, who plays the title character. “Well, we might, but they might not be played by disabled actors.”
Shardlake is a clever lawyer who solves puzzles and problems during the reign of King Henry VIII. He is also disabled. The character is referred to as a “hunchback” by a rude rival in the books — an example of the attitude of the Tudor period, with no allowance or acceptance of differences.
“I really hope the disabled audience can see that and see maybe some of the parallels with the world we live in today. And also just to show that that a disabled actor can play a leading part,” says Hughes, who was born with radial dysplasia.
Rodeo bullfighter wrangles three zebras on the loose in Washington
Lucas Tindall has inherited distinct expression from father Mike as these photos show..
Norway's Arctic north wants to bring in a 26
Move over Fashion Royalty, REAL Royalty has been on view at the catwalk shows
Amazon reports strong 1Q results driven by its cloud
Family use a drone to find their lost dog... and find it playing with a family of wild BEARS!
Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan announce they are expecting a baby this summer
What would open warfare between Israel and Iran look like? How tit
Trump says he'll use National Guard to deport migrants, doubling down on anti
Sophie Wessex and daughter Lady Louise are Queens of the royal hand