Glee actor lands next lead role as disability activist Judith Heumann
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Glee actress and Tony Award-winning Broadway star Ali Stroker is set to land her next big-screen role in an upcoming adaptation of Judith Heumann's memoir, Being Heumann.
Stroker – who appeared as Betty Pillsbury in Glee and also starred in The Glee Project – is tipped to take on the role of disability activist Heumann, according to Deadline.
Ali is in talks to lead the movie adaptation of Heumann's memoir, which was published in 2020, alongside director Siân Heder. The movie will also feature Heumann herself as an executive producer and is part of an Apple Original Films deal.
Related: Glee actress makes history with incredible achievement at the 2019 Tony Awards
Judith Heumann, 73, has long been an activist, championing the rights of the disabled community from a young age. Heumann started using a wheelchair after contracting polio at the age of 5, when she was also deemed a fire hazard and told she had to stay at home.
It's reported that the upcoming adaptation will explore Heumann's efforts to plan the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco, California, a key protest that ultimately led to standardising rights for those with disabilities.
Related: Christmas Ever After proves cheesy romcoms can effect radical change
Ali Stroker's attachment to Being Heumann marks another win for disability representation, following on from her ground-breaking Tony Award win and the success of her 2020 Christmas rom-com, Christmas Ever After.
The festive romance made the refreshing decision not to use Ali's character's disability as a plot device, and while the same can't be said for the upcoming Judith Heumann movie, we're looking forward to seeing such an important story get the spotlight it deserves.
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