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 Think “Juno” meets “7th Heaven” by “7th
Heaven” creator Brenda Hampton.
Featuring Luke Zimmerman an actor with Down syndrome and student at Performing
Arts Studio West in a recurring role as the lead character Grace’s
older brother Tom Bowman.
Premieres Tuesday, July 1, 2008 on the cable channel ABC Family, check
local listings.
Be sure to respond to ABC following the premiere and let them know how
much you appreciate the inclusion of a character with DS. Any notes of
congrats to Luke can go through info@dsala.org and they will forward them
to him.
More info:
Hollywood, CA… After
years of supplying talent with developmental disabilities to
casting directors in Hollywood for films and television and
across the
U.S. for commercial advertising and industrial films, media
activist and
consultant Gail Williamson has created a website just for talent
who have Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities. Down
Syndrome in Arts & Media, DSIAM pronounced DS I am is now online
and collecting talent for its data base. Not only will the
site connect casting directors with actors, but event planners will
be able to find public speakers and entertainers, set decorators will
be able to
find visual artists with unique one of a kind art
and publishers will be able to poets and writers, all who have
DS or other developmental
disabilities. Williamson said, “There is so much talent out there
and people are constantly looking for them, searching group internet sites
and asking around, I thought the talent deserved a place to be located,
sort of a one stop shop, to better show the world their abilities.”
The website beginning in August 2006 will be growing and evolving.
Plans are to list not only the talent, but where training is available
for the talent. Williamson
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Gail Williamson and some of her actor friends, Kristine Johnson,
Christine Young, Louise Brown, Chris Burke
and Blair Williamson.
Gail and “The Guardian”
director Emilio Estevez
discussing an upcoming
scene.
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for any art training
that welcomes people with DD. She has many dramatic arts programs
in
the southern California area that include many of the talented
actors she has found for television shows like; “Touched
By An Angel,” “ER,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “CSI,” “The
Guardian,” and “Nip/Tuck.” In 1998 John Wells, Executive Producer of “ER” said
of Gail’s work, “What Gail is doing is remarkable and
important. Using actors without disabilities to play characters
with disabilities should be as unacceptable in Hollywood today
as suggesting white actors in blackface play African American characters.” In
1999 Frank Burke, father of actor Chris Burke who played Corky
on “Life Goes On” said “Gail is a pioneer in
pursuing roles for the ‘gifted’ challenged people.” Casting
director David Giella of “Touched by an Angel” once
said “When we need actors with disabilities we call her (Gail)
and she sends who we need to our offices. She is doing it louder,
faster and funnier than anyone I’ve ever seen.” Williamson, the mother of Blair, a professional actor since 1991,
says she never would have chosen this work for herself. Supporting
Blair and his passion to act has caused her to stumble upon her
destiny and now perhaps helping others with DD to discover their
destinies as well. To contact Williamson about being added to the
Down Syndrome in Arts & Media Website or to locate talent go
to www.dsiam.org. The first love story about a woman with Down syndrome and a man with
out a disability.
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Ventura,
CA… The feature film “Mr. Blue Sky” completed
filming in beautiful Ventura, California in August 2006. The film
is a labor of love by writer and executive producer Tom Lee. Lee
has woven an unconventional love story of an exceptional young
woman born with Down syndrome Andra, played skillfully by actress
Ashley Wolfe who does indeed have Down syndrome. Ashley’s
credits include “Third Watch” and the television film “Jewel” starring
Farrah Fawcett. Andra’s love interest Greg Adams, a man who
does not have a disability, is played by Chaney Kley who has many
guest starring credits to his name including “CSI,” “Buffy
the Vampire Slayer” and the feature “Legally Blonde.” Andra’s
mother Pam is played by Ashley’s real mom, actress Nancy
Wolfe who not only plays mom to Ashley as Andra as an adult, but
also Lauren Potter who plays young Andra. Greg’s dad, John
Adams is played by Richard Karn, best known as the current
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Briana Barlow, Ashley Wolfe, Katelyn Reed, Haley
Ramm, Sarah Gurfield, Susie Schallert, Blair Williamson and Kevin
Ewing on the set of
“Mr.
Blue Sky"
Gail Williamson joins Katelyn for a little stick hockey between
scenes on “Mr. Blue Sky.”
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host of “Family
Feud” and as Al, Tim the Tool Man Taylor’s side kick,
on the long running show “Home Improvement.” This film like any good
film has its cute factor. Youngster Katelyn Reed age 3 who also
has Down syndrome plays Corey Green and is so cute you can hardly
stand it. She not only had every crew member wrapped around her
finger, but she also bonded with on screen sister Haley Ramm who
plays Jessica Green. Haley, a wonderful actress and all around
sweet girl has a long list of credits including playing Kelly Beardsley
on the recent remake of the film “Yours, Mine and Ours’ starring
Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo.  The cast and crew
became a family and worked like clockwork under the competent
direction
of Sarah Gurfield. Her set was professional, happy and accepting
of all. The last week of filming brought in many background performers
for a scene in an auditorium. Four adults with DS were a part
of that group, Briana Barlow, Kevin Ewing, Susie Schallert and
Blair
Williamson. All the background performers were made to feel as
important as they really are.
“Mr. Blue Sky” is now in post-production and seeking
distribution. Updates will be posted on DSiam when available.
Article: WatertownTAB,
December 1, 2006
Actress Strides on to Big Screen
Ashley Wolfe and "Mr. Blue Sky"
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Michael Johnson began his interest in art
when he was 10 years old. In a peer mentoring program Michael’s
young mentor taught him to draw basic shapes on a computer. At home he
had a workbench with an endless role of butcher paper where he drew with
markers independently. Michael also was fascinated with his mother’s
work with stained glass and she provided him with small, smooth pieces
of glass that he played with on a light table, often piling them on top
of each other to see what colors they would create. It seems now that
Michael was teaching himself color theory. Today, Michael is an accomplished artist who has his own business. He
paints almost every day. He is often commissioned to do portraits of individuals
and animals from photographs. He also has the ability
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Some of Michael's paintings... 
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to capture the face of
Down syndrome, something many professional artists are not able
to do as well as Michael. Perhaps having Down syndrome and seeing
it from the inside out, gives Michael and extra edge above other
artists. Please visit Michael’s website to
see his work and learn more about him.
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12 year old Jimmy English recently
was cast in an in-house production for Taco Bell Corp. The film
was a re-enactment of a story of a young man with Down syndrome
who wanted to play baseball with boys in the park. His dad approached
the boys and they agreed to let him play. As it turned out he came
up to bat at a time that could win or lose the game. The pitcher
purposely lobed the ball over the plate and he got a hit. Then
the team, knowing they would lose the game, proceeded to throw
the ball above each others’ heads to allow the boy to make
the winning run. It was a very special day of victory for the young
man that Jimmy portrayed. In real life, Jimmy loves baseball and plays. He was so good
that he
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had to act like it was more difficult
for him. When he first got to set and warmed up he was hitting like a
pro and the parents of the little league team he was playing with were
cheering him on. It was a little difficult for him to tone it down when
he was getting such a great response from the crowd. Taco Bell Corp. was so pleased with Jimmy performance that they made
him a bound book of all the still photos of the day with a special greeting
from the President of the company. Now, Taco Bell has a lovely film and an entire little league team and
parents as well as crew members know a little more about the abilities
of someone with Down syndrome. Way to go Jimmy!
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