Actor Micah Fowler stars in a new sitcom about dealing with the challenges of having special needs.
Challenges of his own
Micah Fowler has a lot going on. In many ways, he’s just your average American teenager who enjoys video games, hanging out with friends and keeping up with the latest Star Wars movies. But Fowler also has an acting career that’s about to go global considering he’s already starred with some of Hollywood’s hottest talent. But Fowler also has cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects body movement, balance and posture. CP is caused by damage to the brain, either by injury or from abnormal development that happened before birth. With the help of a walker and sometimes a wheelchair, Fowler is able to play sports, go to prom and do all the things other teens can do.
The acting bug
When we sat down with Fowler, he told us he began acting at 5 years old with the encouragement of his sister Kelsey, a veteran Broadway actress. He performed live on stage in shows like The Wizard of Oz and 101 Dalmatians. “My mom decorated a wagon for each show so my sister could wheel me onstage,” says Fowler.
‘Labor Day’
Though Fowler also appeared on TV shows like Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues, he made his feature film debut as Adele’s (Kate Winslet) son, Barry, in the 2013 movie Labor Day, which also starred Josh Brolin.
Building confidence
Being an actor has helped Fowler deal with the many challenges of having cerebral palsy. “Acting has helped strengthen me to be more motivated to exercise and get stronger. It also has definitely helped me have more self-confidence. I am now much more confident in all areas of my life,” Fowler says.
Art imitates life
In Speechless, Fowler plays actress Minnie Driver’s character’s son J.J., a teen with cerebral palsy who is unable to speak. Fowler says he’s honored to represent the special-needs community, “I get to show everyone we are typical people with heart, personality and lots of love to give. I love playing a character that is nonverbal and more severe than myself because it’s an acting challenge for me! I know it is a huge responsibility and I hope that I will make everyone in the special-needs community proud.”
Acting without words
Fowler admits that playing a character who doesn’t speak can be challenging. Luckily, there are other ways to communicate. “J.J. uses a laser pointer and aide to communicate, so I have to compensate physically by being extremely expressive with my facial expressions and body movements. I also have to restrain my hand and arm movements to match J.J.’s severity level. It is hard. Sometimes I just want to blurt out what I am saying. As an actor, I have to rely on the emotions that the scenes make J.J. feel and try to have his personality come through. My goal is to make sure the audience knows what J.J. is thinking and feeling at all times. I think it is really unique that you get to know J.J. without him ever speaking!”
Minnie Driver is a mentor
Oscar-nominated actress Minnie Driver plays Maya Dimeo on the show. According to Fowler, working with her is like attending acting class. “Working with Minnie everyday is a huge learning experience. Every time I am on set with her, I feel like I learn something new. She is so talented, kind and super-supportive. She is a real joy to be around.”
Fowler’s dream job
When we asked Fowler what his dream acting role would be, he didn’t hesitate to tell us he’s a a massive Star Wars fan. “My dream acting job is to be in one of the new Star Wars movies. I have been working on collecting every version of every Star Wars movie ever made, pretty much since I was born.” Given that The Force Awakens has added some diversity to its cast, it seems like a real possibility they’ll eventually add a special-needs character.
Misconceptions
Fowler says that sometimes, people think he’s physically fragile or worry about hurting him, but he wants to make it clear they don’t have to worry. “People also initially get nervous to talk to me. I think a lot of the time, people aren’t sure that someone with CP, or any disability, is capable of carrying a conversation or talking about sophisticated things, so they just avoid possibly feeling awkward. We all have different ways of communicating, and some people with special needs have to get creative and pick the way that’s works best for them.”
The gift of comedy
One thing the show Speechless does very well is handle awkward or uncomfortable situations with humor. Fowler thinks comedy can help all kinds of people understand and relate to each other. “People with disabilities have to get really creative with how they handle everyday interactions, situations and challenges. That makes for a lot of really funny moments and mishaps. Just because a person has a disability doesn’t mean that we can’t have funny moments along the way, and this show just shows some of those humorous, outrageously crazy situations we often find ourselves in. I would say there are a whole lot more funny moments when living with a disability than tragic or dramatic moments.”
An unusual hobby
When not playing on the Woodbridge Warriors, a sled hockey team with a very competitive group of special-needs players, Fowler likes to collect vintage cellphones. Here is a photo of his collection so far.
‘Speechless’ premieres Sept. 21
Speechless also stars Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!), Kyla Kenedy (The Walking Dead), John Ross Bowie (The Big Bang Theory) and Mason Cook (The Goldbergs). It airs Wednesdays on ABC starting Sept. 21.
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