Abbie Hills Talks Being an Access Coordinator – and Shaking Up the Entertainment Industry! – CelebrityKind || Positive Celebrity News | Movies TV Music Books
Growing up, actor, writer and producer Abbie Hills never saw people with cerebral palsy on screen. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that she felt represented for the first time, thanks to RJ Mitte who played Walt Jr. on Breaking Bad.
More than a decade on, the film and TV industry is certainly more diverse – we have Marissa Bode making history as the first disabled actor to portray Nessarose in Wicked, George Robinson charming us as Isaac Goodwin in Sex Education, CODA star Troy Kotsur becoming the first deaf actor to win a lead acting Oscar, and more. But there’s still a long way to go. And Abbie is doing something about it.
Not only has she founded The Dazey Hills Company, a UK-based agency representing disabled talent, she’s also working as an Access Coordinator to remove the barriers deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists face on set as well as behind the camera. Her position is opening up a world of authentic representation that hasn’t always existed, and having lived experience of disability, Abbie is bridging the gap between productions and the needs of disabled actors. From Love Island to The Responder and Joy, she is there, transforming the entertainment industry one project at a time.
Check out our Q & A below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming an Access Coordinator?
Abbie: I was one of the first people in the UK to train as an Access Coordinator. I then had my first job a month after training. Now I work across multiple formats, feature films, unscripted, reality TV, short films and commercials. I’m represented by Casarotto Ramsay and Associates.
2. What are some of your responsibilities as an Access Coordinator on set?
Abbie: The role of an Access Coordinator starts long before the shoot. The earlier we are brought on the better. We can support with logistics, talent, script, read throughs, production meetings, costume fittings – the list goes on! We support DDN (D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent) talent on both sides of the camera, so wherever they need support – that’s where we are!
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3. How do you feel attitudes to access and inclusion are changing in the entertainment industry?
Abbie: Well, people are booking me on jobs! Which means they are taking accessibility and inclusion seriously – it’s not an afterthought, or something that is forgotten about until the last minute. By having a dedicated Access Coordinator, you have someone focused on accessibility and inclusion as a department in its own right – naturally, making a more inclusive environment. There is still a long way to go, but these initial steps and changes are shaping the ethos of productions, and how they look at disability in the workplace.
4. For so long, we’ve had non-disabled actors taking on disabled characters and that’s slowly changing (most recently Marissa Bode in ‘Wicked’!) – Why is authentic representation important?
Abbie: There are so many amazingly talented actors in the world that live with a disability. I think productions are scared of the extra cost that accessibility can incur, and so they choose actors that are non-disabled. This is not right. Why not offer the role to someone that is not only super talented, but also has lived experience? If productions can pay thousands and thousands on special effects, CGI and the like, then they can spend money on access and hire disabled actors, not just for disabled characters either.
5. When, if ever, have you felt seen on screen?
Abbie: One of the first times I had ever seen cerebral palsy on screen was Walt Jr. in ‘Breaking Bad’. I was a similar age to the character when it came out, so that felt super important to me.
6. Do you think there will ever be a time when Access Coordinators might not be needed on set because accessibility is the norm, rather than the exception?
Abbie: I would hope so! But equally, I think accessibility still deserves a department in its own right. It’s not enough to pass the workload on to someone else as things will get missed. But, I hope that productions take it upon themselves to implement an accessible structure from the very beginning.
7. What advice do you have for disabled actors who dream of working in the industry?
Abbie: I would encourage you to find people in the industry with lived experience of disability. Whether it’s fellow actors, agents, managers or people in production, use their stories of how they got in to get inspired! Being a freelancer and a newcomer in the industry can be isolating whether you live with disability or not. Also, find local acting classes in your area, or virtually if this is more accessible for you. Keep up with your training and your passion. It can also be helpful to put together your own access rider so that if you are booked on a job, you can share this with production to let them know what you need.
You can keep up with Abbie Hills on socials:
Instagram: @itsabbiehills
Website: The Dazey Hills Company
(Feature Image Credit: Scott Chalmers Photography)