British actress Ruth Madeley has been cast in the lead role of Being Heumann, from Oscar-winning Coda writer-director Sian Heder and Apple Studios.
Madeley was nominated for a Bafta for her performance in 2015 BBC drama Don’t Take My Baby and has also appeared in UK TV projects including Then Barbara Met Alan, Years and Years and Doctor Who.
Being Heumann is based on activist Judy Heumann’s memoir about how she led a group of disabled people to take over the San Francisco Federal Building in a protest calling for enforcement of a US law requiring federal spaces to become accessible.
Heder will direct and produce the feature under her deal with Apple and adapt Heumann’s book. Rebekah Taussig will serve as co-writer. Also producing are David Permut, Kevin Walsh for The Walsh Company, and John W Beach and Kevin Cleary of Gravity Squared Entertainment. Executive producers include Heumann, her co-author Kristen Joiner and Diana Pokorny.
Madeley commented: “What an unbelievable honour to play the mother of disability rights, an icon and powerhouse to the disabled community. Judy has always been a source of inspiration for me personally and I am so excited to share her story with the world. This is truly the role of a lifetime.”
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