Disney's 'Peter Pan & Wendy' features actor with Down syndrome

In the new live-action Disney film "Peter Pan & Wendy," which premieres on Disney+ on April 28, 15-year-old British schoolboy Noah Matthews Matofsky makes his feature debut as Lost Boy Slightly, becoming the first actor with Down syndrome to land a major role in a Disney film.

Peter Dinklage is probably best known for his role in "Game of Thrones" (2011-2019). In the fantasy series, he plays Tyrion Lannister, a man mocked as a dwarf because of his short size. Undaunted, Lannister drinks copious amounts of wine, is into plots, has an active sex life and stands up to his enemies. Peter Dinklage has achondroplasia, a genetic condition that leads to a shorter stature.

For her role in "A Quiet Place: Part II" (2021), Millicent Simmonds was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2022 BAFTA Awards. In the horror thriller, she plays the deaf Regan Abbott. The US actress has been deaf herself since the age of two and would like to see people with disabilities more strongly represented in Hollywood.

RJ Mitte was looking for a role that would allow him to educate people about his disability, cerebral palsy. That's how he ended up in the series "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013), where he played Walter White's son of for five seasons, on crutches and with a slight speech impediment. The cast won the US Emmy TV award in 2014.

From 2009 to 2015, Lauren Potter starred as Becky Jackson in the musical TV series "Glee." Like her character in the series, the US actress has Down syndrome. She speaks openly about her life with the disability — and says the extra chromosome means, among other things, that she "works longer and harder" than people without disabilities.

Gaten Matarazzo came to film via Broadway. The US actor plays Dustin Henderson in the mystery series "Stranger Things" since 2016. Matarazzo has cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), a rare genetic disorder that has affected the development of his bones and teeth. He uses his fame to draw attention to the issue and support others who suffer from CCD.

If you saw the 2022 film "Avatar 2: The Way of Water," you may have noticed the Na'vi sign language. CJ Jones developed it for the film. The actor from the USA has been campaigning to promote American Sign Language (ASL) for years. Jones, who is deaf, also played Joe in "Baby Driver" (2017).

Kiera Allen debuted as Chloe Sherman in "Run" (2017), becoming the second actress in a wheelchair ever to star in a thriller. "This is not a girl who's made to be a victim or who's only there to inform another character's journey. She defines her own journey. Her disability is a part of that, but it doesn't define who she is. It's similar to the way I view myself," she told the New York Times.