"We brought in anyone: white, black, Asian, in a wheelchair," says Brad Falchuk [Glee's Executive Producer]

LOS ANGELES - The glee club members twirl their wheelchairs to the tune of "Proud Mary" in joyful solidarity with Artie, the fellow performer who must use his chair even when the music stops.

The scene in a recent episode of the hit Fox series "Glee," which regularly celebrates diversity and the underdog, was yet another uplifting moment - except to those in the entertainment industry with disabilities and their advocates.

For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role.

"I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable," said Robert David Hall, longtime cast member of CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

All of that is nonsense, said Hall.

Hall, 61, chair of a multi-union committee for performers with disabilities, is part of a small band of working actors on TV that includes Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, star of Fox's "Brothers"; teenager RJ Mitte of AMC's "Breaking Bad"; and ABC's "Private Practice" newcomer Michael Patrick Thornton.

Mitchell's credits include "Veronica's Closet" before he was injured in a motorcycle accident, and "Ed" after he began using a wheelchair. Mitchell, 44, is also a producer of "Brothers," which he says represents "a movement" that deserves support from the wider disabled community and the industry.

"This is what my life is. This is what I want the world to see," he said. "I want to hold the networks accountable. If I can come out and do what I'm doing, they can come to the table."

It's not just TV that falls short of what Mitchell and others seek, including auditioning those with disabilities for roles that echo their situation and for roles in which it is irrelevant. (Then it's up to them to prove they deserve the job, Hall said.)

In the theater world, advocacy groups for the disabled recently objected to the casting of Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine") as young Helen Keller in a Broadway revival of "The Miracle Worker."

Television, however, has a unique place in the country's cultural and social fiber. It is entrenched in most lives as it consumes hours of leisure time and has the daily power to reinforce attitudes or reshape them. Increasingly, it's been expected to reflect America in whole.

That was the intent in assembling the cast of "Glee," said executive producer Brad Falchuk, along with getting the best performers possible.

"We brought in anyone: white, black, Asian, in a wheelchair," he said. "It was very hard to find people who could really sing, really act, and have that charisma you need on TV."

He understands the concern and frustration expressed by the disabled community, he said. But Kevin McHale, 21, who plays Artie, excels as an actor and singer and "it's hard to say no to someone that talented," Falchuk said.

This article is from www.fayobserver.com