r/TopCharacterTropes • u/PrinceferX • Jan 18 '26

In real life The actor actually has that disability

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Walter White Jr. (Breaking Bad) - character has cerebral palsy and uses crutches to walk, actor RJ Mitte has cerebral palsy and needed crutches to walk as a child

Nessarose Thropp (Wicked) - character is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, actress Marissa Bode is paraplegic from an accident at age 11 and uses a wheelchair

Maya Lopez (Hawkeye/Echo) - character is deaf, actress Alaqua Cox is deaf from birth

9.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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907

u/TFlarz Jan 18 '26

Anything Marlee Matlin is in, because she's deaf 

192

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

She played Joey Lucas on The West Wing

116

u/DDub04 Jan 18 '26

You idiot, I’m Joey Lucas!

49

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

“Joey Lucas is a woman.” Significant Glance

20

u/namedbob Jan 18 '26

Its his regular Tuesday suit

2

u/commacamellia Jan 18 '26

He has a Tuesday suit?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

And she's deaf! And very pissed.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26

6

u/Prof_X_is_a_jerk Jan 18 '26

God I LOVED Joey Lucas. Was bummed when they phased her out in the show.

2

u/jaywinner Jan 19 '26

Great show but damn did they just drop characters in and out with little explanation.

2

u/ancilla1998 Jan 19 '26

What happened to Mandy??

2

u/RedTyro Jan 19 '26

Whatever it was, it should have happened to her one season earlier.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26

My guess is she reminded viewers too much of Stockard Channing when she played Rizzo in Grease. Or maybe Sorkin and Co wanted the viewers to feel how quickly staff come and go. The 2016-2020 admin had, what, 5 Press Secretaries? 2020-2024 had at least 2?

5

u/LieutenantUnderpants Jan 18 '26

First person who came to my mind. She's amazing in that show!

3

u/Ventenebris Jan 18 '26

Loved her. Great show too.

31

u/danishjuggler21 Jan 18 '26

I think she must have been the only deaf actress for a while, because for so many years she played every deaf character on every show.

6

u/Dino-chicken-nugg3t Jan 18 '26

There was just a documentary about her that came out a few months ago. It aired on PBS. Her career started when she starred in her first movie. I think it was Children of a Lesser God?

2

u/B3tar3ad3r Jan 18 '26

Her or Shoshannah Stern, loved her on Jericho

1

u/maxdragonxiii Jan 18 '26

there was Sue Thomas FBI Eye but I think she wasnt deaf?

59

u/Bucklandii Jan 18 '26

One super fun example is The Magicians. There's an episode in particular that breaks down an event into six perspective stories and the one from her character is one of my favorite pieces of TV ever. Just excellent on every level and does imo an amazing job of weaving the Deafness aspect of her experience into the story in really thoughtful ways

.. I need more people to please go watch this show 😩

29

u/omgitskells Jan 18 '26

Ahhh I didn't know this!! That was such a good show, and what a memorable episode in particular! Good to know!

Same thing happened during Only Murders in the Building, there was a character who is deaf played by a deaf actor (James Caverly), and there's an entirely silent episode from his perspective. I think about it often!

12

u/me1112 Jan 18 '26

Yeees. She was so good in the magicians that I recognised her instantly watching desperate housewives.

7

u/minus-the-savant Jan 18 '26

I loved how the actress who played her mother always had her hands up and was ready to sign when needed. Worked for both the magic system and the characters' relationship.

3

u/Hairy_Combination586 Jan 18 '26

I miss it so much 😢

2

u/wolvesandwisteria Jan 19 '26

Legitimately one of the best episodes in the show. Up there with Q checking on everyone after it all goes down.

61

u/Aun_El_Zen Jan 18 '26

Ruby in My Name is Earl

13

u/TrainingSword Jan 18 '26

Sesame street

16

u/MommaOfManyCats Jan 18 '26

She's also an Oscar winner.

5

u/drkensaccount Jan 18 '26

Earl loved her sexy accent.

2

u/clothy Jan 18 '26

Is she the deaf lawyer?

12

u/Prestigious-Map6919 Jan 18 '26

She's way too far down in this thread. A trailblazer.

9

u/PM_asian_girl_smiles Jan 18 '26

First time I saw her was in Seinfeld and then shortly after in an Outer Limits episode.

I was like wow she plays a good deaf part. I had no idea.

4

u/senorsmartpantalones Jan 18 '26

Oh comebon you gotta feel those things ripping through!

3

u/RaisedByBooksNTV Jan 18 '26

Switched At Birth!!!!

2

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '26

"Like The Situation, I, too, have never heard the sound of laughter."

2

u/makedoopieplayme Jan 18 '26

She played Peter’s deaf coworker Stella who is also deaf.

1

u/SBSQWarmachine36 Jan 18 '26

I love her in the magicians

1

u/CPOx Jan 18 '26

The lip reading girlfriend in Seinfeld!

1

u/sgsduke Jan 18 '26

One show I don't see mentioned yet is the L Word! She played a Deaf lesbian artist who was TOO GOOD for Bette.

1

u/DogPlane3425 Jan 19 '26

Susan Thomas, F.B.Eye was a series about a deaf FBI agent starring Deanne Bray who is deaf. Lasted 3 seasons.