BAFTA-nominated actress Ruth Madeley will portray disability rights icon Judy Heumann in the upcoming Apple Original Films project Being Heumann, directed by Academy Award winner Siân Heder.
The film is based on Heumann’s bestselling memoir of the same name. It tells the true story of how Heumann led over 100 disabled activists in a 28-day sit-in at the San Francisco Federal Building. The protest, which became a turning point in the disability rights movement, demanded enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, a law requiring federal buildings to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Heder, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for CODA—the first film with a predominantly Deaf cast to win Best Picture—will adapt, direct, and produce the film under her overall deal with Apple. She co-wrote the screenplay with disability advocate and author Rebekah Taussig.
Madeley, known for her roles in Then Barbara Met Alan, Years and Years, and Doctor Who, is a strong advocate for disability representation on screen. She called the role of Judy Heumann “the role of a lifetime.”
“What an unbelievable honour to play the Mother of Disability Rights, an icon and powerhouse to the disabled community,” Madeley said in a statement. “Judy has always been a source of inspiration for me personally and I am so excited to share her story with the world.”
In 2018, Madeley presented the BBC Two/Horizon documentary Spina Bifida & Me, in which she explored her personal experience living with spina bifida while examining new medical advances in fetal surgery. Her breakout role came in 2015 in the BBC drama Don’t Take My Baby, where she portrayed a disabled woman fighting to keep custody of her child. The performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress and she was later named a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.
Most recently, Madeley appeared as Shirley Anne Bingham in Doctor Who, joining the 60th anniversary special opposite David Tennant and Catherine Tate, and returning for the new series led by Ncuti Gatwa. In 2025, she is set to star in The Rapture, a five-part BBC adaptation of Liz Jensen’s bestselling novel.
Being Heumann is produced by David Permut (Hacksaw Ridge, Face/Off) and Kevin Walsh (Napoleon, Manchester By The Sea) for The Walsh Company under Walsh’s overall deal with Apple. Judy Heumann’s managers, John W. Beach and Kevin Cleary of Gravity Squared Entertainment, also serve as producers. Executive producers include Heumann herself, co-author Kristen Joiner, and Diana Pokorny.
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