I actually then went on to direct an after-school special where one of the characters was deaf. They hired me without even knowing I had any connection to the community. – Richard Masur
No one will ever argue that someone could have played Helen Keller better than Patty Duke. It was an incredibly demanding role and I don’t think anyone can argue that it was a false performance. – Richard Masur
The deaf community is in a favorable position because they have a national theatre and training groups of their own to get them started. Deaf actors have often acquired very valuable skills and experience before they get their break. – Richard Masur
For example, the first time McDonald’s put a deaf person in a commercial they saw a jump in sales. I think that happens with other kinds of disabilities and products and that is something that is being realized more and more. – Richard Masur
Spelling is very easy to practice yourself whereas signing is not. So I would sit on the subway riding around New York and I would spell whatever I would see. When I watched a movie I would spell words as they came up. – Richard Masur
There is no relation to sound for deaf people. It is a totally different mental process. – Richard Masur
But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can’t. And I’m not talking about imagining what a deaf person’s whole life is like I even mean just realizing what it is like for an instant. – Richard Masur
You have to give access to people with disabilities but there is no requirement to hire them. What I mean by affirmative obligation is that producers must take the necessary steps to include opportunities for people with disabilities and a vast majority of them do. – Richard Masur
Being an actor myself I realize that all actors believe they are qualified to play any role. If you showed me a script with a black woman character I would tell you that I could do it. That is what we do. We act as if we are someone else. – Richard Masur
I know deaf people. I have discussed the issues with them I’ve also thought about them a lot so I have some insights that go a little further than people who haven’t had contact with the deaf community. – Richard Masur
