I’m baffled by attitudes, why cast
Non-amputees to play amputees?
Brianne Surgeoner had always wanted to act but, having been born with no hands, assumed it was nothing more than a dream until she signed up with All Talent Agency.
The 21-year-old, from Paisley, has starred in ads and recently landed a role in Casualty.
“I’ve never thought my disability was a disadvantage,” Surgeoner said. “I was born with no hands so it was completely normal to me. And my parents didn’t treat me any differently because of it. It wasn’t until I was older that I came to understand I was the odd one out because I didn’t have hands.”
As a baby in the womb, Surgeoner was affected by amniotic band syndrome, where fibrous bands of the amniotic sack get tangled around the foetus. It cut off the circulation to her hands so they didn’t grow.
“I used to watch TV and think, ‘I could
never do that. I could never be someone in the spotlight’.”
She had hopes of becoming a lawyer, specialising in cases of discrimination but realised she could be an actress.
With more than 20,000 followers on Tiktok, where she uses her bionic arm, applies her make-up with her feet and talks about life as a double amputee, Sturgeoner realised she could follow her dream. She signed up for acting work and modelling.
“Acting just fixes
everything for me,” she said. “It’s an outlet for everything, a way to use your emotions in a really positive way.
“I’m still baffled by attitudes in the industry, for example, casting non-amputees in the part of an amputee… there are not a lot of actual amputees playing these parts.
“But I feel accepted and am so happy it’s a career path I follow. It has been amazing so far and I just know there are many more things to come.”