We were lucky to catch up with Erin Marie Hurley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Erin Marie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Very often I feel overlooked or not included for acting and modeling jobs due to having Down Syndrome.
Erin Marie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I always wanted to be on TV and started taking acting, dance, and music classes at a young age. Today, I work as an actor, model and Down Syndrome advocate. I’ve acted in film and tv, walked in fashion shows, and even played trombone in “Jesus Christ Superstar”! But the journey to where I am now at age 21, has been hard fought! I had to overcome many obstacles.
I was born with Down Syndrome. It is not an illness. It means I have 47 Chromosomes instead of 46, but being a little different is not a bad thing. I am more like you than different. I was born premature and was faced with many physiological complications, including a major heart defect and a stomach that wasn’t attached to my intestines, which required using a feeding tube. I have a strong will, supportive family and underwent successful corrective surgeries.
I found the courage to speak publicly and share the story of my life and obstacles growing up with Down Syndrome. My message that I like to share with people is that Down Syndrome is not a deterrent from normalcy and that I’m like any other person, with hopes and dreams and good days and bad days. I love to be active and social. Some of my accomplishments include: playing a hostage in Gerald Alan Decker’s feature crime film “Cul de Sac” which was an official selection at the “Brooklyn Film Festival”. I attended the world premiere and walked the red carpet! I also recently played a lab tech in the film “Strait Undercover” which stars a main character with Down Syndrome.
I’ve worked on dozens of theater productions at Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY and Cobblestone Arts Center in Farmington, NY. I have interviewed with Nickelodeon and Disney Channels. A short video I submitted to Disney was selected to air on a “Girl Meets World” episode in January of 2017. My photo has been featured numerous times on EWTN Global Catholic Network for World Down Syndrome Day. I was on PBS Homework Hotline and featured on the “Move to Include” segment. I’m a big advocate for inclusiveness. I’ve been a lector at my church, play the piano, and take adaptive horseback riding lessons. I have my own golf cart that I drive independently.
I might have to work harder, but I enjoy my life and having Down Syndrome hasn’t and won’t prevent me from accomplishing my goals.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I’d like to portray a character in a Netflix movie or TV series! I’m still frustrated there are no Disney princesses with Down Syndrome. My focus today is toward inclusion and diversity.
In recent years, we’ve seen a push toward diversity and inclusion which is so wonderful. However, diversity is more than age, size, race, and ethnicity. It is also about abilities. As someone living with Down Syndrome, I look forward to seeing myself and people like me in advertising, tv, and films.
My mission is to bring awareness to businesses, advertising agencies, and production companies to include people like me and in general to cast actors and models with different abilities. We want to be represented in tv shows, movies, commercials and advertising.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
After years of classes, training, submitting to various projects, gaining representation with multiple agents and working privately with a coach; it is sometimes discouraging getting rejected majority of the time. However, if I gave up, I would have missed out on meeting new people, making connections and all of the opportunities that came from those.
I would have missed out on the biggest acting role of my career, so far, where I played one of the lead characters in a feature crime film “Cul de Sac” and getting to work with director/producer Gerald Alan Decker who has been a supporter and advocate of my career. He tells me he I am an actor first and that he sees my talents.
I’m looking forward to expanding my career and hope that more companies open their doors to talent of diverse abilities.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Erin.Marie.Hurley
- Other: Erin Hurley Actors Access Profile: http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/ErinMarieHurley Erin Hurley TMT Agency Profile: https://www.tmtbookings.com/model.php?&k=2652&pic=mainpic
Image Credits
Mark Knopp, Dan Doyle