Disney has been accused of creating “division” and “disadvantage” for actors with dwarfism ahead of the release of their live-action remake of 1937 classic Snow White.
The film has sparked swathes of controversy since its announcement for casting Latin-Ameican actress Rachel Zegler, and using CGI instead of actors to create the dwarves, dubbed “magical creatures” in the film.
Speaking to GB News, actor Choon Tan, who has dwarfism, said the film’s decision to exclude actors from the seven dwarf roles is “taking away opportunities” for those with the condition in the industry.
Tan hit out at the ‘woke’ Disney remake of classic film Snow White for using CGI dwarves instead of real actors with dwarfism
Disney / GB News
Tan explained: “It’s taking away from people like myself who are professional actors, and these roles are made specifically for us.
“We’ve got dwarfism and it can boost our career, make money to pay for our families, and it’s just an opportunity that’s taken away from us because they’re afraid of stereotyping or being derogatory, which it’s absolutely not.”
Noting Disney’s growing “woke” culture, Tan claimed that they are “afraid of upsetting people”, when in fact many actors with dwarfism would find the experience of working on such a production “fun”.
He added: “It’s absolutely pointless – I don’t know what they’re trying to get out, but I think this is woke culture. They’re afraid of upsetting someone.
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The dwarves in the live-action remake are completely generated using CGI, not actors
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“If we didn’t want to do it, we wouldn’t do it. But it’s very well paid, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s what we love to do.”
Highlighting the popularity of the story of Snow White in the pantomime industry, Tan revealed that he has been in two previous productions of the show on stage.
He told GB News: “I’ve been in it twice for pantomime, and so many actors around the UK and around the world that do it, and it’s so much fun.
“The kids have a great experience and it’s really important for them to be educated, because then they understand that there’s different people with types of dwarfism. So they’re not afraid when they see someone like that, and they start to understand the differences.”
Tan told GB News that he has starred in two pantomime productions of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
GB News
Recalling his many acting roles in his career for TV, such as adverts and Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power, Tan stressed that actors should be chosen for roles that are “perfectly suitable for them”.
Tan said: “I’ve done a BT advert, I was a gremlin for that, I’ve done Rings of Power, and I’ve done Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in pantomime.
“They wouldn’t pick someone small to do the tall actors role, so why not just pick someone that’s suitable for the role?”