Bryan Cranston defends being cast as a disabled person in his latest movie

Kevin Hart, left, and Bryan Cranston in "The Upside." Credit: STXfilms/David Lee
Bryan Cranston is responding to criticism over being an able-bodied actor portraying a disabled character in his film "The Upside," opening Friday.
"I think being cast in this role as a quadriplegic really came down to a business decision," the Oscar-nominated actor, 62, told the Press Association, alluding to producers' desire to cast a star in the lead role.
"As actors," he continued, "we're asked to be other people, to play other people. If I, as a straight, older person, and I'm wealthy, I'm very fortunate, does that mean I can't play a person who is not wealthy, does that mean I can't play a homosexual? I don't know; where does the restriction apply, where is the line for that?" He added, "I think it is worthy for debate to discuss those issues."
The comedy-drama, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, stars Cranston as a quadriplegic billionaire who hires a paroled ex-con (Kevin Hart) as caregiver. It is a remake of the 2011 French film "The Intouchables," based on the life of wealthy aristocrat Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, who was injured in a paragliding accident in 1993.
Cranston said he understood objections to him playing a disabled character. "We live in the world of criticism; if we're willing to get up and try something, we have to also be willing to take criticism," he stated, adding, "We're very aware of the need to expand the opportunities for people with disabilities."
The actor, who won four Emmy Awards for playing teacher turned drug-lord Walter White in the 2008-13 series "Breaking Bad," additionally told Yahoo Movies UK that he was "very aware that an able-bodied person is sitting in a wheelchair.”
In preparation for the role, he said, "I met with several quadriplegics and spent a lot of time with them to get to know what they were thinking and how they've adjusted in their lives, and the level of happiness they could attain. It fluctuates. It's not every day, so if you catch them on a good day you can celebrate that but the lows are very low and the psychological dependency they have is enough to bring them down with the pressure so I was concerned about that."
Cranston currently stars on Broadway in "Network," based on the 1976 film written by Paddy Chayefsky.
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