By Laura McLean

Hearing loss representation in television and film is few and far between, particularly for the hard-of-hearing community. While movies like Baby Driver, Read My Lips, and A Star is Born offer some representation, characters with hearing loss are often portrayed by fully able-bodied actors. This leaves hard-of-hearing actors with even fewer roles available to them. In films such as Baby Driver and A Star is Born, characters with hearing loss and tinnitus are played by individuals who lack personal experience with hearing loss.

As a film student, actress, and hard-of-hearing person, I am entering an industry known to be brutal, superficial, and harsh; statistically, I’m unlikely to find a consistent and well-paying series of jobs. Still, with the industry’s push for diversity and representation over the past couple of years, I hope there will be space for more disabled individuals to gain visibility.

Films like A Quiet Place and CODA have achieved widespread commercial success, and both feature deaf actors. This authentic representation of the deaf community paves the way for more accurate portrayals of disability, making television and film more inclusive for a diverse audience.

Television has historically told less diverse stories. However, as the industry evolves with more diversity both in front of and behind the camera, there is hope for more artists with disabilities, like myself, to have opportunities to act, produce, write, and direct.

I have yet to act on a film set, but I have participated in various stage musicals over the years. In those experiences, I noticed a lack of awareness regarding how to support a cast member with a hearing disability. Whether due to the amateur nature of the productions or the team’s inexperience with hard-of-hearing individuals, I found that collaborating with the director and stage team to ensure I caught my cues was a process that became apparent only during dress rehearsals, just two days before our first live show.

There is always a bit of trepidation for me in environments where I am the only hard-of-hearing person. Equipping myself with the tools to advocate for my needs and achieve equity in hearing environments can be nerve-wracking. Even in university lectures, advocacy involves conversations with each professor, adjusting my seating, and determining how they can accommodate hard-of-hearing students to ensure equitable access.

When considering my future career, these experiences shape my perspective and lead me to ask why I want to pursue this path. The answer is simple: I love it. Since I was a child, I have aspired to be like the people I watched on TV. I want to act, sing, and write the stories I can see myself in. Many different stories, including musicals, films, and television shows, have brought me immense joy, and I want to create that joy for myself. I relish discovering new characters, crafting backstories, and navigating scenes with actors I haven’t worked with before.

Having a passion for something you love is exhilarating and fuels ambition, and that is my outlook as I contemplate my future in the entertainment industry.

Here are some examples of hard-of-hearing representation in film:

• Baby Driver
• Batman Forever
• Dummy
• Extraction 2
• World of Delight
• Wild Flower
• Up
• Venom: Let There Be Carnage
• Thelma (2024)
• Sweet Nothing in My Ear
• A Star Is Born
• Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World
• Sound of Metal
• Read My Lips
• Rangasthalam
• Immortal Beloved