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    The Rock’s New Movie Has Sparked A Debate About Disability Representation In Hollywood

    The Rock plays a security consultant who has a prosthetic leg.

    Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new blockblocker follows Will Sawyer, a security consultant who's faced with the dangerous mission of saving his family from a high-rise building that's been taken over by terrorists, and set on fire.

    The movie has led to many people discussing the inclusion of a disabled protagonist, with film critics and audiences praising its representation.

    @TheRock saw “Skyscraper” this weekend I loved it! As a fan, and one who has a disability.I think it is great that you are showing support for those with disabilities as well.

    I’ll be honest, I often see a hero in a movie & feel down because I know I couldn’t be like them with my disability. Movies like #Skyscraper change everything.👏🏻 For the first time in a long time, I feel empowered & strong 💪🏻 I wish I could shake @TheRock’s hand & thank him.

    Kristen Lopez — a film critic who uses a wheelchair — wrote that, to her surprise, she was very impressed by Skyscraper's representation of disability.

    A father’s love is fierce. Excited to deliver to you this summer’s most anticipated original action film. #SKYSCRAPER JULY 13th 🌎 https://t.co/9z6GLA7Oa6

    She said that, though the portrayal isn't perfect, it's unlike other depictions of disability in film — "his disability isn’t perceived as a detriment or a benefit, it’s just something he’s had to adapt his life around," and the character of Will shows a marked improvement in representation.

    However, although The Rock’s performance has been praised, attention has been drawn to the fact that he doesn’t have a disability, with some suggesting that an actor who does should have been cast to play Will instead.

    It's great to see more and more movies show a positive portrayal of people with disabilities, but we still need to see more actors with disabilities. https://t.co/tmNZ6sOfUR

    The new movie #Skyscraper -- Pros: Disability representation for a huge blockbuster creates a lot of awareness for the #disabled & #spoonie community. 😀 Cons: An able-bodied actor played a DISabled character, when there are disabled actors out there struggling for jobs. ☹

    This led to Paralympian and actor Katy Sullivan penning an open letter to The Rock, asking him and other actors without disabilities to turn down roles like these.

    And Dwayne has welcomed this discussion, partnering with the Ruderman Family Foundation to release a video on the topic.

    “I encourage the entire industry to take steps forward – audition and cast actors with disabilities”- Dwayne Johnson on #disability in #hollywood! Proud of this EXCLUSIVE video of @TheRock for @RudermanFdn #DisabilityIsDiversity #Skyscraper Learn more at: https://t.co/u72TjPGB7m https://t.co/rKlPvkvvUQ

    He states in the video that the entertainment industry needs to take more steps to cast disabled actors to play characters both with and without disabilities.

    You can watch the full video here.