Landing a role in films or television is hard. Getting an Oscar trophy, or let alone a nomination, is twice harder. For American Horror Story: Freak Show cast Mat Fraser, there's one simple formula to get one, play a disabled person. He could be right. Colin Firth won it in 2010 for playing King George VI who copes with a stammer in the King's Speech.
"Statistically, and we know this is a fact, the quickest way to an Oscar is to play a disabled person. So all the choice roles are earmarked for fading actors who want one last stab at the possibility of getting an Oscar. Of course, that comes across as sour and bitter-I am being ironic and sardonic!," said Fraser who is identified in the American Horror Story: Freak Show as Paul the Illustrated Seal.
This comments from Fraser came during an interview with the AV Club wherein they talked about his life as part of the FX horror anthology. He was asked by interviewer if his appearance in the show will somehow bring more actual PWDs into the mainstream entertainment industry. If he is worrying about the possible reaction from the public if ever that happens.
"I'm not worried, because it's not my problem. Reality never reaches the limits of my dreams and hopes, really, because somewhere along the journey it's an improvement," the American Horror Story: Freak Show star started.
"Here's the thing: Disabled people-save for Peter Dinklage (of Game of Thrones)-are 100 percent absent from television screens in America. Things are a bit better in Britain, where the BBC has a policy of only casting actors with the impairment that is described by the writer for a particular character. But that's only been in operation for the last four or five years. We're not used to people with "radically outsider" bodies like myself, so visibility is the number one thing."
American Horror Story: Freak Show will air its seventh episode on November 19. Aside from Mat Fraser, the show also stars Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Michael Chiklis, and Erika Ervin.
