Sarah Gordy
Sarah Gordy is an actor. She has Down syndrome and is one of Mencap's amazing MythBusters!
The myth Sarah wants to bust is "People with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
cannot be good, professional actors; my life is great, so just be happy for me!"
“It’s hard to pick which shows I'm most proud of because I love all my characters, but playing the lead role in Jellyfish at The National Theatre must be the highlight of my career. To play any role at The National would have been wonderful, but Jellyfish was an amazing play and my character was so complex. I am also incredibly proud of co-starring alongside Leon Harrop as joint leads in Ralph and Katie, a series for BBC TV. Both of us have Down's Syndrome, so that was an amazing milestone."
My stage school was actually my mum's kitchen table. She always tells me that through storytelling, she could teach me everything. When my sister and I were very little, we were already putting on plays for the neighbours. My mum has always been my drama coach.
"We originally did drama just for the joy of it and to learn stuff"
"We never thought of doing it professionally. However, people must have noticed, and a casting agent eventually found me. My very first job wound up being three weeks of filming as a lead guest on a TV series."
"When it comes to auditions, I like to treat them as an adventure. The audition itself is a performance, so you should enjoy it, and then go and have a treat afterward. If you need to manage nerves or stay calm on set, my advice is to forget yourself and believe only in your character - "you" are living your life in that moment. Think about how the other characters are feeling and truly believe in your story.
As for whether having an agent is essential for securing acting work, I don't really know. Once the casting agent found me, the rest just fell into place, so I can't say anything too useful about that side of things.
If you want to act; create entertainment with your family and friends, do it in Amateur dramatics, or do it for money if you get the chance. Above all, do it for the joy. You learn so much about life from acting, reading, thinking about people, and truly understanding them.”
Sarah Gordy