interview
an audition for Moulin Rouge, when
the casting director found out about
my dance and acting experience.”
Since Moulin Rouge, Kiruna has
tap danced at the opening of the
Sydney 2000 Olympics, debuted on
British television in 2009 in the BBC
series ‘All the Small Things’, and has
enjoyed a successful international
stage career in productions including
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’,
‘Macbeth’ and ‘The Sleeping Beauty’.
But she still faces discrimination on
the street and in the workplace.
“There are lots of directors
who would still ‘malfunction’ at
the thought of me just playing a
character. They can’t accept that it
is ordinary that I, a person of short
stature, would be there and just exist,
like any human, without it ‘meaning’
something … there is a gap in their
restricted thinking,” she said.
“I am often the first actor
with disability that an ensemble
or director has worked with. The
disabled body being present is still
Kiruna Stamell says being a presenter on Play School is her biggest career highlight
yet. Image courtesy ABC TV.
considered a radical act. That’s
before we ‘do’ anything.”
Kiruna shares how she keeps
going when faced with discrimination.
“We all got ‘mini-me’ screamed at
“If someone is going to
us for years after the Austin Powers as a young woman applying for a job discriminate against me because of
film was released.” as a legal secretary. my disability and body, they weren’t
Now living predominantly in the
“A school friend put me forward
interested or going to accept who I
UK, Kiruna said the discrimination she for a job in her office and the boss am as an artist anyway. It wouldn’t
faces as a woman with dwarfism is refused to interview me because I have worked,” she said.
“constant and daily”. was a ‘dwarf’,” she said.
“Being filmed and photographed
22
Kiruna’s first career rejection came
“I was always pursuing an acting
“If I could convince them to
consider me, they would want to
by strangers, verbal abuse, and career, but this gave me a nudge. force me into being a stereotype or
comments about my appearance are It’s what led me to sign up for extra trope. What would be the point?”
the most recurring barriers I face,” work in the holidays, to help pay for she said. university, and what eventually led to
interview
She said discrimination is both a
blessing and a curse.
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