Lauren Ridloff speaks about being the first deaf superhero
There is already a lot of hype surrounding Marvel’s upcoming “Eternals” and while the cast of superheroes is packed with superstars, newcomer Lauren Ridloff has found time to shine- as the franchise’s first deaf superhero.
Ridloff, who formerly portrayed Connie on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” went on Tamron Hall to share what the role means to her and how her acting opportunities and celebrity have allowed her to serve as a representative for the deaf community. Ridloff shared how she came from a family of creative artists and that influenced her to get into writing and acting- and how she never let being deaf limit her from going after her dreams. She said, “it means so much to me to be able to, you know, break barriers. And I want to tell you that I am not the first deaf actor out there. I’m beyond not. And I’m not the first to have a leading role, you know, in a film, I’m not, but it’s a really good time right now for deaf talent. And I think what it means for me, just to be able to play a superhero, means that finally, we actually can show the world the idea of deaf gain. I do not wake up in the morning and think, ‘Gosh, I’m deaf. What challenges am I going to face today? What do I need to overcome?’ I don’t, that’s not how I go through life at all. So to be able to have the opportunity to play a very powerful woman who just happens to be deaf, and because of her deafness, she’s able to do super things that other people can’t do, I don’t know, it’s a blessing.”
Ridloff, who was recently featured on the cover of Elle, also shared what’s next for her following the highly anticipated film, saying “I would love to be a part of something that is, you know, really focused on real life. I mean, what it’s like to just be a regular deaf person. You know, going through life, not a story of overcoming challenges. I feel like that’s been done. We’re ready for more. And I want a story that tells the truth. And you know, and I still have that dream of writing. You know, I really definitely want to see that, you know, maybe a young adult book. And just, you know, supporting children who have different intersectionality of identities to explore.”
The Eternals release date was November 5, making it one of the first major post-pandemic motion pictures to make a major theatrical debut.
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