TVSquad

I'm quite certain Hugh Laurie didn't have to audition for the part of Dr. House.

Hugh Laurie did audition. There was an interview on Hulu a while ago where one of the producers said they were tired of people with foreign accents auditioning for the part. Laurie auditioned and knocked it out of the park. The producers then went on a rant about how he was perfect for the part (not realizing he was British).

Hugh Laurie DID audition.

In fact, he videotaped his audition in the bathroom of the hotel he was living in when he was on location filming FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX.

I have to respectfully disagree. Writers and casting directors have the ability to use artistic license to create a part for whoever they want. If McHale was truly the best for Artie's role, Artie could have easily been turned into an AB (able bodied) cast member and a disabled actor written in to the script. I think it is unfairly discriminatory to disabled actors to write a part that could be played by a disabled individual and not hire the best fit disabled individual. All too often disabled people are not even given the opportunity to audition for parts that are portraying disabled!
As a person with a SCI that has friends (disabled) in the industry, it is disappointing when you find out that yet another AB actor is hired to PLAY the part of a PWD (person with a disability) where a PWD could do just as good (if not better) job as the AB actor. PWD's live with their disability EVERYDAY, not just when they are on camera. They do not have to be taught how to use a wheelchair for their role. Having a PWD play the disabled character could shape the part so much better and make it more realistic, because it is REAL.
Anyways, back to the original comment. We don't even know for sure that actors with disabilities were even auditioned. This person could be covering their @$$ by saying that McHale was best for the job.
Thats just my .02

I've read many articles about casting directors "looking" for a particular type of person to play a role and hiring a totally different actor and modifying the role to fit. Just look at the number of British and Australian actors filling "American" roles - such as Eli Stone and the Mentalist - both lead actors speak naturally with accents.

I have to wonder if wheelchair-bound actors ever show up for auditions for presumably non-handicap roles. Do they "take that risk" and put themselves out there knowing full well they may be rejected on sight alone? Or do they audition, with the hope that a casting director might say "hey, this guy is great, he's in a wheelchair, let's rework the role and make use of this fabulous actor"?

I just finished watching Make it or Break It on Hulu (ABC Family show) and the casting director couldn't find any elite gymnasts who were (1) willing to risk injury during filming, and (2) able to actually act. So they hired some actors who were flexible enough to do the stretches and who could do a few dance-type moves, and used stunt doubles for the real gymnastics.

This type of casting happens all the time. The best actor is hired for the role, within all the other criteria: scheduling, availability, salary, and whether s/he fits with the rest of the cast - chemistry, personality, etc.

I remember something someone said about the hiring of Jason Scott Lee to play Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, it went something like, "It was easier to hire and actor and teach him how to fight than to hire a fighter and teach him how to act." I imagine this situation was similar to that one.

Okay kiddies time for your first lesson..."THEY'RE NOT WHEELCHAIR BOUND" They are people first then actors then actors with a disability. Having been acting for 30 years done stunt work for 10 now producing for television for almost 20 oh and I've been dropped off a five story building in a shoot gone horribly wrong I am disabled. Also I have been working with disabled actors for 20 years they are my fellow actors but mostly my friends. The posts I've seen concerning "Glee" here and on other sites make me sick. Statements of "I'm tired of these disabled people demanding things like ramps" what is this insane fear of "cripples" yes I used the word I've earned the right so piss off. Here's the truth, they looked but not very hard just enough to make themselves feel good then they cast the able bodied actor because that's who they wanted. That's their right but hiding behind "we couldn't find someone as talented" is a lie. They want trained and talented performers with disabilities then look on the internet I know of many they just have to make it a priority and it's not the fact is, "IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO THEM" Finding the best actor is important just don't BS me. Do I sound angry yes I am because I watch my talented friends who would bring heart, soul and realism to these roles washed out without a chance and that's all any actor can ask for is the chance to win the part. That's tough when they won't even look down at someone "who uses a wheelchair" much less give them the opportunity.

Now, it is all to true that directors don't cast whites to play asians or blacks to play white characters but "color blindness" is an ongoing growth spurt of very recent hollywood (the last 10 years or so) that I frist remeber seeing in "color blind casting" of Cinderella (Whitney Houston and Brandi) and it THRILLED me. That was the stated aim of that production.

Hugh Laurie is a great example, but there is also Tom Cruise who was often told early in his career that he was too short to play a leading man or to look at the same show Jane Lynch who plays Sue Sylvester who has been an out lesibian in Hollywood since before it was "cool" or "pc." Now should the casting director have seen Lynch, a rangy and powerful physical presence and given her the role just because she looked the part? What if she had a whiny tenor to her voice or a hitch to her step-- it would disolve the character. Why is this not considered in the same way? Why would a casting director be expected to put out a special call because the character is wheel chair bound. I have seen the way these calls go out and if disabled actors were not called on to audition that fault lies with their talent management. Kevin McHale is a very talented actor who has worked hard to become Artie-- all of Artie the good and the bad and the bittersweet. I think the episode "Wheels" highlights everything about McHale that makes him perfect to play Artie. I would love to hear McHale's take on all this. I know that I for one if chosen for that role would give everything I had to representing a group of people that are so often misrepresented as self-focused, disability focused, depressed social piarahs.

I watched a sweet character do several admirably written things in this episode things that are hard for any teenager things I hope my teenagers will be able to do themselves, disabled or not:
*stand up for himself when it was hard and unpopular
*think of others before himself
*call someone out on deception (though I hope forgiveness will be shown later)
*inspire others to be better more understanding citizens

As for why the actor are older than their characters-- it is just easier on production that way teenagers have strict rules and limits for shooting and rehearsal schedules. You almost never seen a teenager played by an actual teen.