Who is JJ DiMeo on ‘Speechless’?
Micah Fowler, the star of Speechless, is just your average almost-famous high school senior with a disability rights mission. Micah Fowler as JJ DiMeo on Speechless.
Is JJ the only disabled actor on TV?
Fowler — who has less pronounced cerebral palsy than his character, JJ — is one of the only actors with a disability playing a character with a disability on primetime network TV. A recent study showed that less than 1% of TV characters have disabilities — and 95% of those roles are played by actors without disabilities.
Who is the actor who plays JJ on Speechless?
Micah Fowler. Actor. Micah Fowler is thrilled to be part of the amazing cast and crew of the ABC Network Television show, " Speechless" as the role of JJ DiMeo.
What Disability does Ricki Fowler have?
Fowler — who has less pronounced cerebral palsy than his character, JJ — is one of the only actors with a disability playing a character with a disability on primetime network TV.
Is Micah Fowler nonverbal?
A native of New Jersey, the affable 19-year-old is no stranger to show biz. He's had parts on Blue's Clues, Sesame Street and the film Labor Day. Although JJ's character is nonverbal, Micah is verbal and shared his thoughts on acting and other pursuits with ABILITY's Lia Martirosyan.
What is the disability in Speechless?
Micah Fowler stars as JJ DiMeo, a teenager with cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair and is non-verbal, hence the title of the show. The series follows his family: his mother Maya (Minnie Driver), father Jimmy (John Ross Bowie), and younger siblings Ray (Mason Cook) and Dylan (Kyla Kennedy).
How old is JJ DiMeo?
JJ DiMeo (Micah Fowler), is a 16-year-old boy with cerebral palsy.
Was the show Speechless Cancelled?
“Speechless” has been canceled after three seasons at ABC. The single-camera comedy centered on the middle class DiMeo family. Maya DiMeo (Minnie Driver) is a mother who will do anything for her children, especially eldest son JJ (Micah Fowler), who has cerebral palsy.
Can Micah Fowler talk?
Although Fowler is able to speak, the JJ character does not speak, so Fowler has to compensate with dramatic facial expressions and body movements. It's said that Fowler's humor gets the show's biggest laughs. He said he sometimes just wants to blurt out what he is feeling or saying.
Will Speechless be renewed for Season 4?
On May 10, 2019, Speechless was cancelled; there will be no fourth season.
How old is Micah Fowler?
24 years (March 5, 1998)Micah Fowler / Age
When was Speechless Cancelled?
April 12, 2019Speechless / Final episode date
How old is Ray from Speechless?
From 2016 to 2019 he portrayed Ray DiMeo in the ABC sitcom Speechless....Mason CookBornJuly 25, 2000 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma U.S.OccupationActorYears active2007–presentKnown forSpy Kids: All the Time in the World Speechless1 more row
How did speechless end?
-- Izzy goes apartment-hunting with JJ, but soon breaks up with him; when Maya confronts her, she reveals that JJ's been accepted to NYU after all but is instead settling for University of California - Irvine just so he can be with her, and she doesn't want to hold him back.
Why was fresh off the boat Cancelled?
[Ending the series] really was a joint decision between us and [20th Century Fox] and the creators. [We all felt] that, given the life of these characters, it was time to move on. Eddie's graduating from high school and moving out of the house. It just felt like it's coming to its natural story conclusion.”
How many series of speechless are there?
3Speechless / Number of seasons
Did they give you a scene to perform?
Yes, back in January 2015, my agent asked me to send in a “personality video” for an untitled Scott Silveri project. I put together a video of me just talking about myself and joking around. We never heard back, which is not uncommon in this business.
How are you balancing working on a network TV show with your schoolwork and your social life back in New Jersey?
I’m a high school senior, so I’ll be graduating in June of 2017. When not filming, I attend my regular high school and, just like JJ, [I] have an amazing one-on-one aide to assist me throughout my day. While I’m in LA filming I’m tutored on set 15 hours a week.
How do you communicate in your personal life?
Unlike JJ in “Speechless,” I do speak. I communicate verbally but it takes time and a lot of effort. My speech impediment makes it difficult for me to speak quickly.
Did you have to learn how to use the alphabet board?
I have not ever had to use an Adapted Assistive Communication device personally as I have always been able to talk verbally, so I did do some research. When I booked the role of JJ, I began to read about the different AAC devices available today and watched videos of people using these many different types of adaptive devices.
Tell me a little about the sports you play
When I’m home in New Jersey, I play sled hockey on a team with all special needs kids, called The Woodbridge Warriors. It’s regular hockey except the team members are all on sleds. Some propel themselves and others have pushers. We would practice weekly and play games against other teams in the league.
What are your future plans? College? More acting jobs?
I’m not completely sure if I will go to college yet. Right now, I’m focusing on my senior year of high school and looking forward to acting in “Speechless” for as long as it runs. I’d like to have a very long and diverse acting career, portraying many different types of characters.
Do you consider yourself a trailblazer in terms of disabled performers?
Growing up a huge television and movie fan, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of representation of both disabled actors and disabled characters being portrayed on television.
What is the story of JJ on Speechless?
On Speechless, JJ grapples with teenage problems through the lens of disability: His high school provides him with a full-time aide who acts as his “voice,” but she’s an embarrassing middle-aged cheer ball with a hideous vest; his fellow students are phonily nice to him; and his mother (Minnie Driver) is comically overbearing. It’s human, and — unlike so many portraits of disability — it’s not a tragedy, it’s just a life.
How old is Micah Fowler from Speechless?
Weeks later, the 18-year-old New Jersey native moved to Los Angeles with his mother to start shooting and he's had to make some personal sacrifices for this gig: He is missing much ...
Does JJ Fowler have cerebral palsy?
Fowler — who has less pronounced cerebral palsy than his character, JJ — is one of the only actors with a disability playing a character with a disability on primetime network TV. A recent study showed that less than 1% of TV characters have disabilities — and 95% of those roles are played by actors without disabilities.
