AH: Thats the aspiration. That was just something I connected to profoundly and was grappling with and wanted to explore, so I knew that that would be a fundamental part of the series as well. What's it like working with him? All Rights Reserved. That came out of conversations as well, and enhanced empathy is the aspiration in any storytelling. It's been an absolute delight. In it, supervisory special agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole) tackles a very personal case that threatens to send him over the edge emotionally. He's such a good dude. Michael Patrick Thorntons life was upended at the age of 24 after suffering two spinal strokes that left him paralyzed, but the actor and life-long theater lover found his A year later, he took his first steps. Meet the cast of A Doll's House here! A Doll's House, starring Jessica Chastain, will officially open Thursday, March 9 at Hudson Theatre. He certainly has. I'm very happy that they get to finish the show the way that they wanted to. I just thought that it was so profoundly moving to read about Scott and his trying to negotiate that moment from a distance. He added, "Theres light on the other side., The actor went on to share that his representation on TV is important for other individuals with disabilities to see, going on to expand that he picks roles in which the disability is not a plot point, but instead, is simply there., Still, Michael told Medium about his portrayal of Dr. Gabriel Fife on Private Practice: It was the height of irony that after working so hard to get as far away as possible from anything resembling a hospital ever again that my biggest break, the ABC series Private Practice, cast me as a doctor, so a good amount of my scenes were in a hospital.. When the cameras are rolling, Torres is a bit more reserved, for sure. The diversity of the show absolutely was intentional, but again was sparked from something I read in that article. I remember you when you were thiiiiis biiiig. That is generally accepted as the analogue for a mission to Mars: that if the world can figure out way to work together, thats how we get there. I'd love to see a continuance of the family that we have here at "NCIS," seeing what they get into next and seeing what the next natural progressions are with Knight and Jimmy. ButThe Matchmakerdirector Henry Wishcamper was captivated by Hollander,who moves from a wheelchair to a prosthetic leg to crutches in the show. Michael Patrick Thornton, co-founder and artistic director of The Gift Theatre, stars in "Richard III," produced in partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Actor and theater director Michael Patrick Thornton plays Dr. Clay Porter on The Good Doctor and fans are wondering if the star uses a wheelchair in real Talent was also the driving factor in director Jessica Thebus's decision build her new production of Richard III around actor Michael Patrick Thornton. Candidates must have good balance, upper body strength and some range of motion in their limbs, and they must undergo extensive training before using the device, which requires the presence of an assistant or therapist, said Jayaraman, who expects they will become more common as technology improves and the $75,000 price declines. He's terrific. Other select productions: The Gift's production of Doubt at Steppenwolf; Will Eno's Title and Deed (Lookingglass Theatre-Time Out "Best Actor" Award) as well as Eno's Middletown (Steppenwolf) the inaugural premiere of Andrew Hinderaker's Colossal (Olney Theatre, Kennedy Center) Othello (The Gift, where he played "Iago") Our Town (Actors Theatre of Louisville) and the world premieres of Hinderaker's Dirty and Suicide, Incorporated for which Thornton was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award. Its even more rare to see a disabled actor on screen who actually uses a wheelchair in real life. And I just thought that was weird," says Thebus. In the episode, a man from Parker's past is brought in to assist in an investigation involving a dead ensign and some familiar-looking narcotics. My partner and I have been together for over 15 years, and a lot of our relationship has been long distance and we were physically apart. I always will admire that cast. He awoke from a coma several days later unable to move anything but his eyeballs. Distractify is a registered trademark. To integrate that so quickly, to become one with the device, is incredible.". But on the other hand, is it ableism? WebMichael Patrick Thornton's Wheelchair on 'The Good Doctor' Goes a Long Way Toward Representation distractify.com - Melissa Willets 15h Source: Getty Images Feb. 14 2023, Published 11:35 a.m. "With the two spinal strokes and losing everything, the ability to move, everything just my eyeballs to talk, in that kind of cellar of your soul, to realize that the one thing that I'm willing to fight for is the ability to get up in front of people and communicate what it feels like to be a human being on this earth," he says. They are truly like a family. If Michael looks familiar, you may remember him from many roles on screen, including television's "Private Practice." First off, who wasn't a fan of Wilmer's from "That '70s Show"? The pilot for the CBS drama from Chicago theater veterans Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss reunites the pair with actor Michael Patrick Thornton, who starred in their 2016 indie "The View From Tall" Michael Patrick Thornton rehearses for "Richard III" with physical therapist and Winfield native Kristen Hohl. "So things woke up slowly in there in time. They were able to give the proper sendoff to the show that it deserves. I'm fairly confident that it is going to be happening for our show. We did an immense amount of research on the astronauts, on space exploration, and so it should be no less detailed and no less authentic than when youre exploring the aftermath of a stroke. Season 20, Episode 14, "Old Wounds" was an eye-opening affair revealing some significant events in the past of Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker (GaryCole) that led him to a life of solving Navy crimes. AH: It is really important to me, and its important to the show, and it just means a tremendous amount if that was in any way successful. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It was too funny. A spinal stroke almost killed Thornton in 2003. I co-wrote the episode last year entitled "The Helpers," which was the show where Jimmy and Kasie inhale biotoxin in the lab. It's 65 minutes long and is getting great reviews. Co-founder of Chicagos acclaimed the Gift Theatre, Thornton notably appeared in their productions of Doubt and Richard III (King Richard) both at Steppenwolf, as well as Othello (Iago) and the Barrow Street Theatricals Off-Broadway Production, 2018. I was very, very eager to write for him. Jefferson Park resident, Michael Patrick Thornton was Meanwhile his one-man-show at the Lookingglass at Water Tower runs through may third. In Thebus's production,Thornton begins on stage, spinning around like a spider weaving a web, later transitioning to a walker while wooing Lady Anne (played by Olivia Cygan), and eventually moving to a ReWalk, a $70,000 robotic exoskeleton that allows Thornton to standtowerand walk when Richard III is crowned king. He did an amazing job alongside Gary Cole. Given that Mike is a wheelchair user, Putney, then, is a wheelchair user. To me that begins with empathy you cant have empathy if you dont have authentic representation. He underwent grueling physical and speech therapy, which involved reciting Shakespeare's sonnets and soliloquies to develop breath control. The character used a wheelchair, and so does the I like how there's a distinct fingerprint on each one of these characters. ", "I forgot how hard I had to work to put myself back together again," said Thornton, who won a 2006 Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance in Gift Theatre's "The Good Thief.". Yes. On the one hand, it makes me proud. "He uses ReWalk as an extension of his body," she said of Thornton, co-founder and artistic director of Chicago's Gift Theatre. Being able to collaborate with him was an absolute treat, and he did not fail to deliver. I'm pretty confident that we'll be coming back for Season 21. I remember reading a feature film script that she wrote, and I thought, "Oh, my gosh. Hohl, a Wheaton North High School graduate with a doctorate in physical therapy, never imagined herself onstage. For the first time since spinal strokes left him partially paralyzed, Thornton -- who uses a wheelchair -- is performing at eye level with his fellow actors as the titular villain in William Shakespeare's "Richard III. I'm super happy that they've had the run that they have, and I'm glad they can finish the way they want to. I was very excited for her to be able to do it, and she got to co-write along with Scott Williams too, who's been my co-writer. When I write a line for Jimmy Palmer say, in the bullpen scene you go, "Well, that definitely couldn't be said by Agent Torres, because it wouldn't make sense," and vice versa. You'll never know.". Part of my responsibility as a human being is to understand that, and to understand the ways in which the world wasnt designed for other groups of people and to try to rectify that. That play kind of launched my career, and I went to New York. We were actually in Hawaii together when we were filming the "NCIS" crossover, and we went out to dinner, and I pitched him the idea for this episode, and he was game for it. Since overcoming the tragic ordeal, he has lent his skills to various projects, including "Private Practice," "The Good Doctor," "The Red Line," "Away," and "A Million Little Things." He plays Hilarys psychiatrist, Dr. Fred Putney. New Mobilitys newsletter delivers product news and pro tips from wheelchair users twice a month. In fact, he has co-written two episodes of "NCIS" so far, including tonight's episode, "Old Wounds," which airs on CBS at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Management Consulting Company. I'll be a series regular, and I'll have this and that." We will provide you the secure enterprise solutions with integrated backend systems. You always think when you go in for a one-day guest star, "Maybe they'll like me a lot. Richard III runs through May 1 at the Steppenwolf Garage, 1624 N. Halsted St. gifttheatre.org. Do you have any plans yet to co-write another episode? They wouldnt have been able to build this laboratory in the sky without each others expertise and money. We're in some pretty rare air, and we know it. Michael Patrick Thornton has appeared on Broadway in 2 shows. no tequ https://t.co/Z0r7Oqs2MO, @ThorntonMPT - 12/5/22 05:38pm Tonight, tune in to an all new @thegooddoctorabc #thegooddoctor w/the fantastic @_ChristinaChang. The League of Chicago Theatres Board of Directors announced the selection ofMarissa Lynn Fordas the organizations new Executive Director. The amount of detail shown regarding his transition is amazing, and frankly quite surprising, to many of us in the wheelchair community because were not used to seeing that level of detail in a show. Don't stay here too late. The intriguing elements of his tragic backstory were revealed thanks to the introduction of Jeremy Brighton (Michael Patrick Thornton). @ThorntonMPT - 12/6/22 05:31pm happy 21st birthday to @TheGiftTheatre. ET Actor Michael Patrick Thornton plays Dr. Clay Porter on The Good Doctor and fans are Read more on distractify.com Good Doctor (TV Series) Wheelchairs How are you feeling about there being a Season 21 of the flagship show? "Disability gets consigned to the inspirational triumph story where a saint-like patient quietly bears the load and teaches us all how to appreciate what we have," he said. Matchmaker runs through April 10 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. goodmantheatre.com. Proud as hell to be part of this story. Be that as it may, he appears around 40-45 years of age. 'The Good Doctor' Fans Think Lea Is Leaving After This Shocking Plot Development. "It was a shocker.". "'Where do I belong, if anywhere? Meet the Cast of A DOLL'S HOUSE, Beginning Previews on Broadway Tonight! We discussed his inspiration for the show, the work that went into the accurate representation of disability and wheelchair use on-screen, and the future of disability representation in the media. But my opinion is if the character is a wheelchair user and barring complexities like Im talking about with Matts character they should always be cast with actors who use wheelchairs, unequivocally, end of sentence, period. And because Im an accessible travel writer, of course I had to ask about wheelchair users in space! New Mobility is the membership publication of United Spinal Association, whose mission is to empower people with spinal cord injuries and related disabilities to lead successful and fulfilling lives. You can do it,'" he says. They trace the pills back to a case Parker was working on for the FBI, where a firefight occurred. The jokiness of that character and the fun that he has with that, that's what we see when the cameras aren't rolling. He received last rites twice. Danny Wolohan, Jared Canfield, Phillip James Brannon and Michael Patrick Thornton, Lindsey Barlag Thornton and Michael Patrick Thornton, Grantham Coleman, Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga, Che Ayende, Danny Wolohan and Michael Patrick Thornton, Phillip James Brannon, Maria Dizzia, Bobbi MacKenzie, Grantham Coleman, Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga, Danny Wolohan and Michael Patrick Thornton, Danny Wolohan, Michael Patrick Thornton, Daniel Craig, Cyd Blakewell and Michael Patrick Thornton, Michael Patrick Thornton and Mary Ann Thebus, Erik Hellman, Michael Patrick Thornton and Peter Moorer, Brenda Barrie and Michael Patrick Thornton. Michael Patrick Thornton Family Background & Career. I wanted to know where a lot of these behaviors came from, so I asked our showrunner, Steve Binder, if ["Old Wounds" co-writer] Scott Williams and I could explore that a bit. Getting a glimpse behind the scenes has been "quite an experience," says Hohl, who praised Thornton's skill and resolve. as Satine. 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