0:00:02 > 0:00:06THIS PROGRAMME CONTAINS SOME STRONG LANGUAGE
0:00:06 > 0:00:09- I go quieter, the more nervous I get. - Rachel is 24, a drama school graduate,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13with a promising acting career in front of her.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17She's waiting for a phone call which will transform her life.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21If I get it, I'm going to be amongst the best young actors in the country,
0:00:21 > 0:00:26not like the best short actors in the country or the best dwarfs in the country,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29just as a whole, the best actors in the country.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36For many dwarfs, show business has been the main source of work for hundreds of years,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40but most of the acting roles they're offered have limitations.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Stop smoking!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's bad for your "elf".
0:00:44 > 0:00:46DWARF COUGHS
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I think every actor will say, short or tall,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52it would be great to have more roles but being politically correct
0:00:52 > 0:00:55and all of that stuff, actually is going to get in the way.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Somebody who's creative, who's writing,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01you cant dictate to them what they create.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07So what can the next generation do to break through the stereotypes?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I've often walked away from parts
0:01:09 > 0:01:13because they just didn't feel appropriate for me.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14I don't want to be the joke.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I want it to be, like I'm involved within it
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and if I can't be in on the joke, I don't want to do it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25This film follows the fortunes of several talented young performers
0:01:25 > 0:01:29who dream of being taken seriously.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34The ultimate aim is to be a famous comedian, where my height
0:01:34 > 0:01:36is not the primary thing that people think of.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39But in an industry obsessed with image,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43will their height always overshadow their talent?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45PHONE RINGS
0:01:48 > 0:01:49Hello.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Yeah, hello...
0:01:58 > 0:02:00From a bungalow in Peterborough,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04specialist actor's agency Willow is run by Peter Burroughs.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07There's stunt training in Fieldsway Farm.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11We have over 150 people on our books, that's worldwide.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15That's from here, America, Sweden.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17We've got plenty of jobs going on.
0:02:17 > 0:02:23I've got projects going on, Snow White and The Huntsman...
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Life's Too Short.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26We've got a bit of BBC
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and of course, we've got pantomimes coming up...
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Willow was set up by Peter and his son-in-law Warwick Davies
0:02:32 > 0:02:36to help get dwarfs equality of pay in show business.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Willow Management was started in 1995.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44My father-in-law is also a short actor and we talked about how
0:02:44 > 0:02:49if other short actors really came together
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and stood and said, we won't do it for any less than...
0:02:53 > 0:02:55..X amount of pounds,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58then it would put us in a stronger position.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Could we stand together? How would you do that?
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Let's create our own agency, and so that's what we did.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09The agency was named after the movie Willow,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12which gave Warwick his big break at only 17 years old.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16George Lucas wrote the part for Warwick
0:03:16 > 0:03:19after casting him in Star Wars.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26He then built the most successful career of any short actor in the UK,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29playing every creature role going.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Now, Warwick is about to star in Life's Too Short,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35a fictional version of his life and work.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I've already done my dream role, in Life's Too Short.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I've had a desire for years to do comedy.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I've also had that desire to...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46..just be able to walk into work on a film
0:03:46 > 0:03:50and spend five minutes in make up, come out looking better than I did when I went in
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and just wear regular clothes and it all came true.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I mean, it was the perfect role for me.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Life's Too Short
0:03:59 > 0:04:03is the first time a short actor has played the lead role in major sitcom,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and directly confronts issues around height in show business.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The fact that the Warwick character I play in Life's Too Short
0:04:10 > 0:04:13is short, I suppose...
0:04:15 > 0:04:19It throws a different spin on the whole thing.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23But I wouldn't say intrinsically he HAS to be short, as it were.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27You know, the series is about a man's life
0:04:27 > 0:04:31that is descending into chaos
0:04:31 > 0:04:35and he just makes a lot of the wrong decisions...
0:04:35 > 0:04:37But it's not anything to do with his height,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40it's just the person that he is, do you know what I mean?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43STAR WARS THEME RINGTONE
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Hello, Willow Personal Management.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Hello, Rachel. How are you?
0:04:49 > 0:04:53One of Willow's newest signings is Rachel Denning.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58For three years, she's been searching for her big break as an actress
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and is now hoping Willow can help.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04It was only when I was 14, 15,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08I decided that I wanted to do it seriously as a career.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I didn't think about how difficult it was going to be.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15# Better not to light my fire... #
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I think people try and unpick it a bit.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Everyone always seems to think actors have some hidden insecurity.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I don't feel I'm that insecure.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Maybe if I went down that route,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29it would be because I was always stared at,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31so I may as well be doing something,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34if you're going to be staring at me anyway.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Also I guess that gives me control. Like, I want you to be staring at me.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44A little boy I was working with the other day was really concerned.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47And he's like, "Why are you so small?"
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I kept telling him, I was just born small.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53"But why are you a small adult?"
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I said, I've just got a condition, I don't grow.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00"Why don't you eat something? Have you tried eating?"
0:06:00 > 0:06:02I said, "Yeah, I just grow that way."
0:06:02 > 0:06:03He's like, "Hmm...."
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Willow have sent me... "Ooh, Wil-low"!
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They've sent me an application form.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12There's the measurements,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15so its obviously for costume work and things like that.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I haven't actually measured my height for a while.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19It doesn't say that on there.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Rachel is the first short actress to graduate from her drama school.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27On graduating, she signed with an average height agency,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30but they've not been able to find her any work.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Very important inch.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Mountview gave me that inch.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I'd stopped growing for ages
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and when I was doing all my movement work and stuff,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43when I was doing Alexander technique,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46I did something to my spine and I got another inch
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and I hadn't grown for about four years up until then.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52It was mad. OK.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Shoulders into wrist.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Arms straighten. - The arms don't go straight.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59My arms don't go straight. LAUGHS
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Whilst she hopes Willow will find her more serious roles,
0:07:02 > 0:07:08she knows that the majority of work available for dwarfs is costume work.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11This can range from big budget Hollywood films,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15to being handcuffed to party goers on stag and hen dos.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Waist, 26.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21What kind of creatures do you think this is a suit for?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Gremlin. Goblin...
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Cupid. LAUGHS
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Fantasy stuff, fantasy films.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Ewok?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Would you want to do something like that?
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I think I'd have to judge it on the job as and when it comes.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43If it came, I don't think I could say whether I'd want to do it or not.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47So it would have to depend what it was for, what company it was with.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51If it was a promotional thing, I don't think I'd be up for it,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55but if it was, if I got to fly off to New Zealand or something
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and be in a costume, I think I'd be all right with that.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- 14.- Is that right?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I thought we did waist before.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04We've got waist twice.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Oh, wrist, that is.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I've got a 26-inch wrist!
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Never seen a dwarf like that before.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15THEY LAUGH
0:08:15 > 0:08:16Do my wrist.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23LOW GROANING NOISE
0:08:25 > 0:08:27HE CACKLES
0:08:28 > 0:08:30GIRL SCREAMS
0:08:31 > 0:08:32HE CACKLES
0:08:32 > 0:08:35That's my warm-up, really!
0:08:35 > 0:08:37It's what I do.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Lovely day for it.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Another drama school graduate is 21-year-old Ben Goff.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Sweet Daddy B's ready to rock'n'roll.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Come this way, sir. I want to chop your head off. Oh, come on!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53You big sissy pants.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56He hopes to become a star of musical theatre.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- You can feel that, can't you? - Yes.- Yes, that's the blade.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00But, at the moment,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03his day job is chopping tourists' heads off.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05..two, one, bye-bye!
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It is quite dead at the moment,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13but hopefully we will get some more people as the day goes on,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16which is normal, about half-past eleven,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18we have the big groups coming in.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19It does get very busy.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21What about you? Can I chop your head off?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Hello, you lot on the bus!
0:09:24 > 0:09:28People do laugh at you and point at you
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and they kind of take the mickey out of you.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It's not just me. Some of the guys across the road, Ross,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37the guy over there, he's 7' 2",
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and people kick him cos they think he's on stilts,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44so he gets a bit bullied, I get bullied sometimes.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48All right. Who's in charge?
0:09:48 > 0:09:49GIRL SCREAMS
0:09:51 > 0:09:53You big sissy pants.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Another day. Fresher and fun.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Over and yes!
0:10:02 > 0:10:07One thing I do like is taking that wig off and letting my hair go... ah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12The only reason I'm doing this job
0:10:12 > 0:10:15is to keep the bills being paid and stuff like that.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I kind of enjoy it, really.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21But it's not something I desperately want to do, shall we say.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26If you come back in five years, I hopefully will not be here.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Right, people. Loving you and leaving you.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Bye, Ben! See you!
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Bye, Ben!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35In great secrecy, I transported the entire population
0:10:35 > 0:10:38of Oompa Loompas to my factory here.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Hey, Daddy! I want an Oompa Loompa!
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I want you to get me an Oompa Loompa right away!
0:10:42 > 0:10:44All right. I'll get you one before the day's out.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48For many of us, Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
0:10:48 > 0:10:52provided one of the most iconic and enduring images of dwarfs on screen.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Ben's dad Rusty was one of the original Oompa Loompas.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- How long ago was this? - This was 40 years ago. Here we go.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04# ..doo-ba-de-doo I've got another puzzle for you
0:11:04 > 0:11:07# Oompa Loompa, doo-ba-de-dee...
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- First. - # If you are wise You'll listen to me. #
0:11:11 > 0:11:14When did you realise that your dad was an Oompa Loompa?
0:11:14 > 0:11:19Um, I suppose it was that first time when I saw the film,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21about five, six years old, something like that.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It was on over Easter or Christmas, one of those ones.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28When Dad kind of mentioned that was him,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33I just kind of got a bit star-struck really, I suppose.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Ah, my dad's one of the Oompa Loompas!
0:11:35 > 0:11:38My name is Rusty Goff, I'm 4' 2".
0:11:38 > 0:11:42I'm 62 years of age and I own him.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44He owns me.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46He loves it when I stop!
0:11:46 > 0:11:50After 50 years in the business, Rusty's starred in everything
0:11:50 > 0:11:53from Harry Potter to Are You Being Served.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- # The little green pig said... - It just can't be!
0:11:59 > 0:12:02# He looks like a purple people-eater to me! #
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Being an Oompa Loompa himself,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Rusty's aware of the potency of the on-screen stereotyping of dwarfs.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13There are various things I would draw the line at.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Not for myself, but to protect people, who...
0:12:19 > 0:12:22..there's dwarfs born every day.
0:12:22 > 0:12:2575% of dwarfs are born to normal people
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and these people suddenly, "Oh, God, what I have got here?"
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Er... I want to protect those people.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- Back in the day, do you reckon you could've done it? - Yeah, I could do that bit...
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Like his dad, Ben's a performer.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- But from then on, it's you.- No. - Turning, spins, no.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45No. I can do spinning.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Ben got his break when he was 18, dancing with the Beat Freaks.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51# Somebody's watching me... #
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Whilst aware of their inherent USP,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Ben and Rusty wants to see more progressive casting.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05All the dwarf actors around at the moment,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09they just want to be treated as normal people.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Why can't a dwarf be a doctor?
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It's happened in real life, why can't they portray it on the screen?
0:13:15 > 0:13:18OK, so with the right script, why couldn't you be Superman?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Spiderman?- Exactly.- Easy.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22TRUMPET
0:13:26 > 0:13:31For now, Ben's targeting the bright lights of the West End musicals,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34competing for roles alongside average-height actors.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42Tomorrow, I've got an audition for the Royal Shakespeare Company,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44which I'm really excited about.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48It's for their Christmas show, called The Heart of Robin Hood.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52I've got an audition to play the character of Little John.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54"I dare not go any faster in the storm, sir.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56"This is Robin Hood country.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58"We crash here, we come out with nothing."
0:13:58 > 0:14:04Since leaving college, this is the biggest straight acting role I've had,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06because it is the Royal Shakespeare Company,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09everybody knows about the company itself.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12So it's kind of an honour and a privilege
0:14:12 > 0:14:15for somebody just starting out in the business,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18being asked to perform for them.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21But it's also quite nerve-wracking as well.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23You think, OK, I've got to be good here.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26"Sir, these horses are newly broken,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28"they won't take to roughness."
0:14:29 > 0:14:31"Sir! These horses are newly broken.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34"They won't take to roughness."
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- What's the date today? - That should be in date.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Like most people with dwarfism,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46the rest of Rachel's family is of average height.
0:14:46 > 0:14:52Gareth is 6' 4" and Joe is 5' 7", so Rachel's the....
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- The special one. - The special one, yes!
0:14:54 > 0:14:56We don't know where she came from!
0:14:56 > 0:15:00I didn't know Rachel was achondroplastic when she was born.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I took her to the paediatrician.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05He said, "Well, you know what's wrong with her?"
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I said, "Well, I didn't know there was anything wrong with her,"
0:15:09 > 0:15:12he said, "She's an achondroplastic," and I said, "What's that?",
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and he said, "Oh, it's like the people in a circus."
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Erm, you know, you just don't... it's not very good bedside manner.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27Turns out, 24 years later, I don't have the skills to be in the circus!
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I wouldn't mind that, I might be working!
0:15:32 > 0:15:33MUM LAUGHS
0:15:33 > 0:15:39I think short people have always been seen as...the funny ones.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Like, I think that goes way back in history
0:15:43 > 0:15:48with entertainers and...clowns and stuff like that.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So, I think that makes it difficult
0:15:50 > 0:15:53when you're looking for serious acting roles as well
0:15:53 > 0:15:57because, traditionally, you were the funny character.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Rachel has always applied for parts which specify her size,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06but after several recalls, she's so far been disappointed.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12When a part comes along that's about a four-foot blonde girl
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and then if you don't get it, you're like...
0:16:15 > 0:16:19but that's me? What else would I get?
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Now she's decided to broaden her search
0:16:22 > 0:16:25to include roles that don't specify her look.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Old Vic are looking for the next lot for the 24 Hour Plays.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I think it would be really good to work on
0:16:32 > 0:16:34cos you're working with new directors.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37You're all in the same boat, young directors
0:16:37 > 0:16:41and, erm, producers and writers.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44They never specified height, but it says,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48"Please indicate whether you consider yourself to have a disability."
0:16:48 > 0:16:50I chop and change with that.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53some forms I'll say no,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and some forms I say yes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Like, there's no actual official register, really.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04I think, in a way, short people aren't seen as disabled when they are
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and I think that's overlooked a lot by society in general.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's like we're not disabled, we're just short.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Like, so you can laugh at them.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14"I have restricted growth and since graduating
0:17:14 > 0:17:18"I have found roles limited and I see this as an opportunity to have fun
0:17:18 > 0:17:22"and to showcase my acting skills that I do not often get to display."
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I sometimes feel like I'm writing to Jim'll Fix It,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28"Please give me a chance, I want to be on the stage!"
0:17:28 > 0:17:32It's like that sort of thing. It's like, "Ugh."
0:17:32 > 0:17:35But, erm, I've tried everything else, though!
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Rachel dreams of being taken seriously as an actress...
0:17:41 > 0:17:46..and Hollywood is a place where dreams can come true.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52On the surface, a superficial town...
0:17:54 > 0:17:58..but Los Angeles is teeming with ideas, optimism
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and the potential to make lots of money.
0:18:06 > 0:18:1028-year-old Nic Novicki is making a name for himself in Hollywood,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14he recently starred in Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19- What's with you?- I'm done, Carl, we all are. No more midget shit!
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Midget shit is what they are paying us for.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24It's a huge show, everybody loves the show
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and to be a part of that is amazing.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29What if I can get us a raise?
0:18:29 > 0:18:34'I've definitely put a lot of blood sweat and tears into my career,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36'so it was nice to have a little gratification'
0:18:36 > 0:18:39of being a part of something like that
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and that they keep bringing me back, so, it feels good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I've worked more out of New York recently, with Boardwalk Empire,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52but Hollywood is Hollywood.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56There's no place in the world that you can...
0:18:56 > 0:19:01get as many opportunities as you can in LA.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Especially if you're short, I think there's more opportunities cos there's more projects.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- 'Nic, what's going on?' - Hey, what's going on, man?
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Despite his success as an actor,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Nic also getting involved in other areas of the industry
0:19:14 > 0:19:16as a budding producer.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18What we'd need to do is I'd have to lock you guys
0:19:18 > 0:19:20into a developmental contract.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- 'All right...' - All right, buddy, talk to you soon. Bye-bye.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28What were you trying to sell there, Nick?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32That was a reality show about a...
0:19:32 > 0:19:36a guy who, er, forecloses houses.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Who knows, it could be a comedy or could be a drama, docu-drama.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Have you sold that kind of thing before?
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Erm, no, I've never, I honestly still haven't sold anything.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I make all my money acting, erm...
0:19:51 > 0:19:56but most of it I just put into other projects...
0:19:56 > 0:19:58to try to sell.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I've been close, a lot, I once...
0:20:03 > 0:20:04This, er...
0:20:04 > 0:20:08with a handicap sticker, you don't have to pay for parking in LA.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11God bless California!
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- KNOCKS ON DOOR Yo, yo!- Hey.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Along with his business partner, Azel,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21they've managed to get Scorsese's support on one their film ideas...
0:20:21 > 0:20:23..and they are also pitching an idea
0:20:23 > 0:20:26about a match-maker who's a little person.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Two minutes with each person, after two minutes, circle yes or no
0:20:29 > 0:20:31if you feel there's a connection with them.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Yeah, everybody likes her, you know? All the networks, but it's just...
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- You have to find a fit, I guess. - Right now a dating show is not it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41There's a lot of little people shows and they feel it's saturated.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Me and the boys want a raise to work the Celtic dinner...
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Nic's worked tirelessly for the last ten years
0:20:47 > 0:20:49to get his break on Boardwalk Empire
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and he feels that his height has been an advantage to get him noticed.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55- What do you call it?- Show business.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58But in the most competitive place in the world,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Hollywood's inherent optimism does have its limits.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03It is, it's hard.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06You know, I think starting out, it's better to be a little person
0:21:06 > 0:21:09cos there's not as many people and it's so easy to get in to,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11you know, to get in to a huge room.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Like, being in a room with, you know, mega producers,
0:21:15 > 0:21:20like Jerry Bruckheimer and stuff, or like CSI, when you're two years in.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24You know, that doesn't happen for most average-height people,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27but then when you get to a certain level, like where I am
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and other, you know, established little people actors are,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33then it's hard because you don't get...
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- It's hard to just keep getting. - Like, a lead, like a leading role.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41The break-out roles, cos there's just not that many for little people.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Really good supporting roles, there's always supporting roles,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but it's never, like, that lead role, you know.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Sometimes it is, but it's like, "I'll fight for that,"
0:21:51 > 0:21:52somebody's going to die!
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- You know, if you get that far! I mean, seriously...- I got a gun!
0:21:56 > 0:21:58..if a little person, you know, lead role came out,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02big studio film, it would be blood in the streets.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04It would be, like, Nic and three dudes that he knows,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06they would be fighting.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10It's really just a hustle until you get that one thing.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14I mean everything, as an actor, as a producer, it's a hustle,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18You got to just keep going, keep going, keep fighting,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21stay in the ring until you can... until you get that shot in.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28The most successful short actor in the US is Peter Dinklage.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30He starred in The Station Agent.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34The lead role was written for him and the film built around him.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It took nearly 9 million at the box office,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40proving, to the amazement of Hollywood,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44that a short actor can be a bankable star.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46'I think Peter Dinklage is well on his way.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:52Peter has really climbed the ranks. He is so incredibly talented.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57He has carried feature films, he was nominated for an Emmy,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02his performance in Station Agent was so quiet, but brilliant,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06he's like a magnet, you want to see what he's going to do next.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08Did you take these?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'He's the real deal.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Once you get past the fact that he's four-foot and change, 4' 6",
0:23:17 > 0:23:21nobody cares, cos you're so captivated by his acting ability.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I looked through it.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29This is a theatre group and on Tuesday nights, put on shows.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's fun, keeps you sharp.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It's like going to the gym for acting.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Nic's following in the footstep of Peter Dinklage
0:23:37 > 0:23:40but he's also realistic about their potential in Hollywood.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42'It's a business.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:45This is above all else a business, they want to make money.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I don't think there will ever be a little person that's, like,
0:23:50 > 0:23:55a bankable movie star in terms of 20 million a picture.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Peter Dinklage is definitely a great actor and he works a lot, but...
0:23:59 > 0:24:01he's not making 20 million a picture
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and he's not carrying a, you know, studio movie.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08You know, I think he can, but...
0:24:08 > 0:24:13you know, in terms of bankability it's tough, you know?
0:24:13 > 0:24:19- What d'you do with the money? - It's in the safe, 943.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'I try to be really realistic with things,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25'I don't live this fantasy, like
0:24:25 > 0:24:28"I'm going to be at the Oscars next year and I'm going to be there."
0:24:28 > 0:24:32I kind of know, like, I have, you know, short term goals
0:24:32 > 0:24:38of what I want to do and what I think I can do in terms of my career
0:24:38 > 0:24:43and I don't really try to think about myself being the next Tom Cruise,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46because I don't think I'm going to be, you know,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50but I can be the next character actor that works all the time, you know.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Oh, wow, it's you guys. Come on in.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Back in London, another short performer trying to make a name for himself is Gareth Morinan.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Mind out for the mess.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06He's quit his job as a government statistician
0:25:06 > 0:25:10to try to carve out a career in the notoriously hostile world
0:25:10 > 0:25:11of stand-up comedy.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15So, yes, welcome to my office!
0:25:15 > 0:25:17There is also a chair.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Do you want me to close the window? That's better.
0:25:21 > 0:25:27I am 4' 10", I have a condition called...
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Spondo-b-l-dysplasia-coja-na-na!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I do not have dwarfism.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Dealing with being unusually short
0:25:36 > 0:25:39has inspired Gareth to move into comedy.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The ultimate aim is to be a famous comedian,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48where my height is not the primary thing people think of.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51They don't think, "Gareth Morinan, oh, that short guy."
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Erm...but having said that, I am happy to exploit my height
0:25:56 > 0:25:58to get to that position, or help me get to that position
0:25:58 > 0:26:02cos I know in this world, you've got to exploit anything you've got.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Doing stand-up's interesting, because I can go on stage
0:26:06 > 0:26:11and I know that I can basically say nothing, right,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and people will be laughing already
0:26:13 > 0:26:18and in a way I, sort of, resent the audience at large for that.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22So, that's, sort of, why, personally, I aim to do something
0:26:22 > 0:26:24a bit different, a bit more innovative.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27This is the sea of cables, which I have...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Gareth has spent four years on the stand-up circuit,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32but he's written a new show,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36using a PowerPoint presentation and political satire.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41He's planning to take it to the Edinburgh Festival.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45This piece is called Fruit Conga, yeah?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It's one of my pieces about Xenophobia, erm...
0:26:47 > 0:26:52and here is the Yes Bee, which is the, sort of, promotional crux
0:26:52 > 0:26:55of my marketing campaign for Edinburgh.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59You don't need to, sort of, have credentials and credits,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01or whatever, or your face on the flyer,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04you just need a big bee saying, "Yes!"
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So, the Yes Bee is one of my more shallower pieces, really,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09it doesn't have a lot of depth,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13but you know, hopefully people will, erm, be keen on it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Erm, right, I need to grab some more stuff from upstairs...
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The Edinburgh Fringe is like Mecca for the top stand-ups
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and discerning comedy audiences too.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Gareth hopes his new material will be well suited to this environment.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31I really enjoy performing, that's why I do it
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and I enjoy putting on my own show,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35which is why I enjoy doing Edinburgh.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38So having my own show, where I'm basically in complete control
0:27:38 > 0:27:42and put my own mark on it and people have gone away entertained by me,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43I love that, right.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Er, but then there a whole other aspect to the comedy scene
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and there's a lot of comedy clubs are just, sort of...
0:27:52 > 0:27:56You know, if Edinburgh is there, the level of the comedy clubs is,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58like, here, right?
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's people going for a night out on a Friday or a Saturday,
0:28:01 > 0:28:06they're getting drunk and...there is a different standard there,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11you know, the broadest appeal thing wins in those kind of situations
0:28:11 > 0:28:13and I don't really like that.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16So...after doing that for a while, I thought, you know,
0:28:16 > 0:28:21fuck the bigger clubs, I don't want a life performing to pissed-up,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24you know...stag dos, or whatever,
0:28:24 > 0:28:29who are shouting out very obvious jokes about my height
0:28:29 > 0:28:33because they think it's hilarious. Erm...so there are different levels.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37But with Edinburgh looming, Gareth has no choice
0:28:37 > 0:28:40but to hone his craft in a room above a pub.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41GARETH SINGS
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Hello, everyone, welcome! - APPLAUSE
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Welcome to the show, welcome to the wonderful preview of the Disc.
0:28:50 > 0:28:51Thank you for coming out...
0:28:51 > 0:28:53'Erm, so this is my show,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55'it's called The Truth Explained In Doodles,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57'so I'm actually an artist...'
0:28:58 > 0:29:02# They've got small bodies And small minds
0:29:02 > 0:29:06# They're all small fry And small time
0:29:06 > 0:29:08# They're the lowest of the low... #
0:29:08 > 0:29:13Size and comedy have always been intrinsically linked.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15# And they like it down there. #
0:29:15 > 0:29:17From our first experiences of dwarfs,
0:29:17 > 0:29:19we are conditioned to find them funny.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23He's little man and he's got a yellow hat and he's really stupid,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26we don't know where he is? CHILDREN SHOUT EXCITEDLY
0:29:26 > 0:29:27And over the years,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31on-screen representations have made much use of the obvious height gags.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- Oh, hello, Paul. - Hi, I have the form right here...
0:29:36 > 0:29:39But writers and comedians have also used size
0:29:39 > 0:29:41to explore other prejudices.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45You know Paul, everyone knows Paul. Erm...
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Shoulder length brown hair,
0:29:48 > 0:29:49wears a lot of jewellery...
0:29:51 > 0:29:52..looks up a lot,
0:29:52 > 0:29:54gets his clothes from Mothercare.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57That's it, the Oompa Loompa.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01He says go straight up.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07In the US, competition for parts is just as fierce.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Meredith Eaton was the first short actress
0:30:15 > 0:30:18to score a lead role in a mainstream TV series.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Danny? It's me, Bethany. Bethany Horowitz.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Such a pleasure to meet you.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28She played William Shatner's girlfriend in Boston Legal for three series.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Bethany, this isn't working out.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34What?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37You never indicated to me that you were...
0:30:38 > 0:30:40..Jewish.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45'That was such a vote of confidence for me and my career.'
0:30:45 > 0:30:48That was a dream role that came true for me.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51What was she like otherwise?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Attractive head, nice breasts,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and that was it. Breasts and a head.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I didn't want to leave things on a bad note.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04It was a role that addressed height through comedy
0:31:04 > 0:31:06in a way she felt comfortable with.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10When you called me a midget in a crowded restaurant, you caused me emotional distress...
0:31:10 > 0:31:14'Comedy is certainly an avenue to push boundaries.'
0:31:14 > 0:31:17If you're making people think about their own beliefs
0:31:17 > 0:31:23and challenging them in a way that they've never thought about before,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27and that makes them laugh, that works.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28I hope I didn't hurt her.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32My mother taught me how to tackle.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36'If it's gratuitous and doesn't lend to any teaching opportunity,
0:31:36 > 0:31:37'it doesn't work.'
0:31:37 > 0:31:39She better watch her back!
0:31:40 > 0:31:44You have to think about what you're doing and why are you doing it?
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Are you doing it to make fun of yourself
0:31:46 > 0:31:49or are you doing it to make fun of the people that think you're funny?
0:31:49 > 0:31:52That's how you discern whether it's funny or not.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58Her first big break in Unconditional Love, starring opposite Kathy Bates,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01was in a role written for an average-height actor.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06Since then, she's taken a hard line against the mythical creature roles.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10'Discrimination is discrimination, whether it's based on height,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13'the colour of your skin, your sexuality.'
0:32:13 > 0:32:15So I won't compromise my beliefs
0:32:15 > 0:32:19by portraying a character that would make me feel
0:32:19 > 0:32:22that I was perpetuating a stereotype about little people
0:32:22 > 0:32:25that I've worked so hard to move away from.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28I've often walked away from parts
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and there's been an actress right behind me that's happy to take that part.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36That's fine if it works for them. But for me, it doesn't.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Back in London,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and Rachel is still trying to find out where her line lies.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49On set. Been up since five, so I'm wired.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53It's her first job with Willow and it's her first ever commercial.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59It seems like a good, fun project that's interesting.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I haven't done a commercial before.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I thought it would be quite good experience, good fun.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10Everyone seems really nice and really honest, trustworthy.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14She'll be working with another short actor, Max.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19The costume? It's not too bad actually. A little bit draughty!
0:33:21 > 0:33:23You wouldn't actually go to war in it, would you?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25THEY LAUGH
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Come and get me!
0:33:26 > 0:33:31- INTERVIEWER:- Have you had to make up many short actors, then?
0:33:31 > 0:33:36I've probably done maybe three in a 15-year career.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41First up, they're shooting some stills.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46The advertising campaign is for the Budapest Short Film Festival.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55- This pose is great.- We'll get some blow on the hair in this one.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57It's looking great.
0:33:57 > 0:34:03We just wanted to recreate the posters but with smaller people, that's all.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05It's just a little idea that we had.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08It's pretty straightforward.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I don't think I need to say why it's funny.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Hang on.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17That's great.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19With the stills shot, the main part of the shoot
0:34:19 > 0:34:24is a mock-umentary style viral video for the internet. Highly original(!)
0:34:24 > 0:34:27You know, I've never held a sword before.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31It's really heavy but I'm getting really into it now.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34CAMERA CREW CHUCKLE
0:34:34 > 0:34:37That's great. That's really good.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38'It was a lot of fun.'
0:34:38 > 0:34:41It's the first commercial I've done,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44so it's actually good to have something to gauge stuff by.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48The more experience I get, the more I know what I'm comfortable with
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and what I'm not comfortable with.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- So you didn't feel like they were laughing at you?- No.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59- And you didn't find it demeaning in any way?- No.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05No, I felt, yeah, really comfortable.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Ben Goff has been in panto since he was nine years old.
0:35:09 > 0:35:15Freshly graduated, he's keen to avoid being one of Snow White's seven little helpers this year.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17When I was with my dwarf agency,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20I was getting the typical dwarf roles, shall we say?
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Always at Christmas, always Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29Which was great, because I do love pantomime, I do love seeing the kids' reactions.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32I've been brought up in the panto world.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36But I got to about 14, 15, where I'd done a lot of Snow Whites.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39I went, "Right, I'm bored with this now."
0:35:39 > 0:35:43That's kind of why I was thinking I'd leave the dwarf roles.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47While I'm still young, just try different things out.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Today, Ben has his audition for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58It's for their Christmas show,
0:35:58 > 0:36:03but it's directed by an Icelandic director known for his bold productions,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06so Ben feels confident that he's in with a chance.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15I think I've got about ten or 15 minutes before the audition.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18I'm feeling pretty confident, actually.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23I spent most of last night just going over and over the script and things.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28I already kind of warmed up my trumpet before I set out.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Did your dad give you some tips last night?
0:36:32 > 0:36:34He just said, "Relax. Enjoy yourself, really.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39"If you get it, fantastic. If not, don't put a downer on it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41"Think of it as an opportunity.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44"How many other people would love to audition for this company?"
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Just putting a bit of valve oil on my valves here
0:36:51 > 0:36:54so they don't get stuck, really.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00What's the worst thing that could happen in your audition?
0:37:00 > 0:37:04The worst thing that could happen in the audition for me
0:37:04 > 0:37:11is to probably pass out. That's the worst scenario for me.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17I get so excited and nervous and the adrenaline is just pumping so I just go splat.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21I've had quite a lot of water to drink today
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and I've eaten and stuff like that.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25So hopefully that won't happen.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28But just before I start,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I'll just close my eyes for two or three seconds
0:37:31 > 0:37:35or turn my back and then go into the script.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39It's what I learned at college, really.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42That also relaxes you, it relaxes them.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46It goes, "Right. This is ready." And then we go off to it.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- Hi, Ben. How are you? - Very good, thank you.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Nice to meet you.- You, too. - Would you like to come through?- Yes.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01Lead the way.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Hi.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14Um, been a bit of a strange day today.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16I'm fine!
0:38:16 > 0:38:24But I had a text from Willow, my new agency I'm with.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Um, basically they're offering me a part in panto this winter.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31They asked me if I'd want to do it.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And I'm really confused
0:38:34 > 0:38:38and I really don't know whether I want to do it or not.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40It's not that I don't want to do it,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43but then a part of me does and a part of me doesn't.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Obviously it's playing one of the dwarfs.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I've never played a dwarf before.
0:38:48 > 0:38:54And basically, I just think it would contradict everything that I've said
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and worked towards.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Now, just because of being offered work, just to go,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04"Actually, yeah, forget all that. Let's do it."
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Even though I do think...
0:39:06 > 0:39:10I don't know. I do think it would be fun.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15It's difficult enough to be seen for not short roles.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21It's difficult enough to have castings for non-dwarf roles,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25without having done that.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I'm worried that if I get into that,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32then it would be even harder to get out of
0:39:32 > 0:39:38and back into mainstream TV and theatre, which is what I want to do.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40I'm in a bit of a pickle.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49In Edinburgh, Gareth's on his way to open his first official solo show.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Here, you have to drum up your own audience in any way you can.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59I'm Gareth. I'm doing a show called The Truth Explained In Doodles.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04- I trained in analysis statistics... - That should be helpful!
0:40:04 > 0:40:06After a couple of media interviews,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Gareth hits the streets with his marketing campaign.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Free comedy! Free comedy every day, 4:15.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17Say yes to the Yes Bee. Comedy in under an hour on Cowgate.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22Their show's starting in an hour. Same as me. Clashes. It is a pity.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Say yes to the Yes Bee. Don't say yes to the Yes Bee. Say no to it.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29- Say yes to the Yes Bee.- Yes.- Cheers!
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Shit! That was my fault. Just go, go. Enjoy your life.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39This is the Yes Bee. It's a message about positivity.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Why are you small?
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Because I have a genetic condition
0:40:44 > 0:40:47that makes me smaller than the average person.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48- Can I see that?- You can have it.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Er, yes, because different people have different abnormalities
0:40:54 > 0:40:57and abnormality is a fact of life.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Free comedy promoted by children! Free comedy promoted by children.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05OK, let us go to the venue
0:41:05 > 0:41:10because the show is going to start very, very soon. Um, right...
0:41:10 > 0:41:12- INTERVIEWER: - Are you gearing yourself up?
0:41:12 > 0:41:15I've been gearing myself up for the last six months!
0:41:22 > 0:41:25The Yes Bee and curiosity about his height
0:41:25 > 0:41:27has helped him stand out from the crowd.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29It's the guy who you saw earlier!
0:41:29 > 0:41:33And he's managed to get a pretty decent audience for his first show.
0:41:33 > 0:41:39So welcome, welcome again to the show. Hi, I'm Gareth.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41This is the show. This is the actual show.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44As we can see, the contents orbit the show.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46It's not conventional. You can't really read it.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50The first section is context, then judgement.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52We'll start with the context section...
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Now I'm just rambling. The show has officially ended now. Thank you.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59THEY CHEER
0:42:04 > 0:42:1025 pounds and 34 pence.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Not bad for a first day.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18'Right. That is the first show down and 21 more to do.'
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Three people left quite early.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24I don't know whether maybe they didn't understand or find it funny
0:42:24 > 0:42:26or it wasn't what they were expecting.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32For a first show, given I did a bit of ad hoc flyering just now,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34it was all right.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38It was good. More work needs to be done,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42but I'm confident that in a week's time, the show will be very slick.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Well, the show will be slick.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47In two weeks' time, the show will be very slick.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Lovely day, isn't it? Lovely.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57It's now five weeks since Ben's audition.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02And he's still cutting the tourists' heads off.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06A far cry from the RSC.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Feel better? No? Didn't think so.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Here we go. How about you, sir?
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Can I chop your head off, chippy-choppy?
0:43:17 > 0:43:20I haven't heard any news about my audition, unfortunately.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Bit of a shame, really,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25because in weather like this I'd rather be inside.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28I'm just keeping everything crossed at the moment.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31Fingers, toes, keep touching wood and things like that.
0:43:31 > 0:43:36Touch wood. Touch wood. I'm doing all that superstition stuff.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39HE SIGHS
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Lovely weather.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Rachel has decided not to take the pantomime job
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and she's had some good news.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59She's got a unique opportunity to audition for the Old Vic 24 Hour Plays,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02an annual event for emerging young talent.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05I'm nearly too old for this.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07How old do you have to be?
0:44:07 > 0:44:1018 to 25. I'm 25 in a few weeks.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15I wasn't nervous before I got in here. It's the waiting, isn't it?
0:44:15 > 0:44:17All right, guys.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21It's one of the biggest shows a young actor can audition for.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23The actors have to perform a short monologue.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26If successful, they and the writers
0:44:26 > 0:44:29have 24 hours to write, rehearse and perform a play
0:44:29 > 0:44:32in front of 1,500 people at the Old Vic.
0:44:32 > 0:44:38Argh! I look incredible.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Tracy's shit. A shit name.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42Steve Winter is the director
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and has worked on all six of the 24 Hour Plays.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50'This is an interesting project because we're looking for interesting actors to write for.'
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Of course, they can be different backgrounds, different skill sets,
0:44:54 > 0:44:56different accents, different shapes and sizes.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59This project is unique because the roles don't exist yet.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03The last two weeks we've seen about 1,700 people
0:45:03 > 0:45:06and we're looking for a company of 50 people.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10Rachel will be the first short person we've seen for this project
0:45:10 > 0:45:12and this project's been going for six years.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14We've probably seen 6,000 people.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Rachel next, please.
0:45:21 > 0:45:27I am looking for love. I am actively looking for love.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29You know those traffic light parties
0:45:29 > 0:45:32where you wear red if you're not available,
0:45:32 > 0:45:35amber if you might be and green if you absolutely are?
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Well, I'm on green...constantly.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40I'd say I was a feminist.
0:45:40 > 0:45:47Probably not in front of a boyfriend, though. Not that sexy really, is it?
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Great. Let's see a bit of that again, if that's all right?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56- Who do you think she is?- I think she's desperate for a boyfriend.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58I think she wants to be seen as one of these people -
0:45:58 > 0:46:00"if I could describe myself in three words,
0:46:00 > 0:46:02"it'd be bubbly, outgoing..."
0:46:02 > 0:46:05But I think she just likes sitting at home
0:46:05 > 0:46:07with a cup of tea, watching Corrie. A bit like me!
0:46:07 > 0:46:09THEY LAUGH
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Let's solve the problem. Let's get a boyfriend up there.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Let's have a boyfriend for Rachel. Someone jump up.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18I am actively looking for love.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23You know those traffic light parties where you wear red if you're not available,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26amber if you might be and green if you absolutely are?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Well, I'm on green...constantly. I like a lot of things.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32'I thought Rachel did great.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35'What's interesting is for a lot of actors to take direction,
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'to be given a different motivation,'
0:46:37 > 0:46:41it can kind of throw them off track a little bit.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45The ones that work best for me are the ones that can take direction,
0:46:45 > 0:46:47try something, whether that works or not.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52It just shows us they're eager to be involved in something like this project.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57For Rachel, I thought she really went with it and used the actor.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01She was engaging and had fun, which is the most important thing, I suppose.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07I like Facebook a lot. I've got it as an app on my iPhone.
0:47:07 > 0:47:08Which I sort of hate,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11because I like to think of myself as an arty type of person,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13bit of a free spirit, you know.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15LAUGHTER
0:47:15 > 0:47:19It sounds so cheesy, but if you knew me you wouldn't think it was so blah.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22I'm a bit sort of cartwheely. A bit out there, you know.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Sometimes I just buy a ticket to wherever and just sit on the train
0:47:26 > 0:47:28and chat to whoever I'm sat next to.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31'It was good fun, actually. It was fine. I enjoyed it.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34'I liked it when he did the thing'
0:47:34 > 0:47:38with getting that guy up and stuff. I think it made the speech better.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42I felt I was getting something from it, rather than just showing them something.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47This is one of those auditions where I'll just get it done and go,
0:47:47 > 0:47:49and if anything happens from it, great.
0:47:49 > 0:47:54I've enjoyed today and I don't think I messed it up.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57I think it will literally be if they're looking for it or not.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01What really made me want to get it is when he was saying
0:48:01 > 0:48:04that he's choosing actors that are interesting
0:48:04 > 0:48:06for new writers to write for.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09They will literally be writing for you,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11which I think is a brilliant opportunity,
0:48:11 > 0:48:16because I don't usually fit into generic roles, really.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Well, I do, but apparently I don't.
0:48:19 > 0:48:25Yeah, so it will be nice to have new writers writing for different actors and stuff.
0:48:28 > 0:48:33In Edinburgh, the gruelling festival is drawing to a close.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Gareth's been trying out his brand of comedy now for four weeks
0:48:36 > 0:48:39and it seems to be hitting the spot.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Yeah, I've got two reviews, both four stars.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47One of them was really, really complimentary.
0:48:47 > 0:48:53"Original, intelligent and funny. Gareth Morinan is going places." It's a nice tagline.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55A good quote to take away.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Everyone is really, really desperate
0:48:57 > 0:49:00to get back to their lives at the end of the Fringe.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02It's just such a tiring month.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Yeah, just bring on home basically.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13Truth Explained In Doodles. Starting upstairs here in 20 minutes.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19- Thank you!- That's a great pleasure. You must come and see it. - I must indeed.
0:49:19 > 0:49:24Guys, you can come in now. The house is open.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27His final show is standing room only.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32It looks like he's managed to find his audience and create a buzz.
0:49:32 > 0:49:37There might be standing room. How many of you are there? Six of you? That's a large number.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Someone's offering to have someone sit on their lap.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44But anyway... Oh, I know.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49Don't worry, I will be back next year with an extended, improved version of the show.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Thanks, everybody. I've been Gareth Morinan. Good night.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54AUDIENCE CHEER AND APPLAUD
0:50:01 > 0:50:05You see that is what I wanted today. A good show.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Because once you've got the critical mass of everyone in a room,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10everyone thinks it's amazing,
0:50:10 > 0:50:14instead of some people thinking it's amazing and others thinking you're mental.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16But yeah, it was a good show and...
0:50:17 > 0:50:21Yeah, that's it, that's it's done and dusted.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23See you later, guys.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29With £100 in takings, Gareth can now return to London.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32But he'll be back next year with his act more refined
0:50:32 > 0:50:35and hoping to fill a much larger venue.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Fucking...look at this.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40This is ridiculous.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42I mean, well, it's not ridiculous, but it is...
0:50:42 > 0:50:44I thought it would be fine.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48And there's literally no signs on this road saying where...
0:50:48 > 0:50:50you know, saying what the deal is.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59MOBILE RINGS
0:50:59 > 0:51:00Hello?
0:51:00 > 0:51:05Meanwhile, Rachel hears back from the old Vic after her audition.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10'..and we'd like to invite you to the second stage of the audition weekend.'
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Oh, brilliant. Thank you.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14I got a recall!
0:51:14 > 0:51:16That's for the...
0:51:16 > 0:51:23Old Vic, 24 Hour Plays. And I've got through to the second round.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26And it's this Saturday, I didn't realise it'd be that soon.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Don't even know what I'm doing this Saturday, but I have to do that now.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33That's brilliant. I'm really pleased with that.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34I'm nervous now.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37And I was like, "Thank you...wait a minute,
0:51:37 > 0:51:38"did you just call me a midget?
0:51:40 > 0:51:42"You really think I look like Justin Timberlake?"
0:51:42 > 0:51:44At Hollywood's Comedy Store,
0:51:44 > 0:51:46actor and producer Nic Novicki
0:51:46 > 0:51:50is taking the opportunity to get a few things off his chest.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Getting called a midget is very offensive to little people.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56It's like getting called a spic, a chink, a nigger, a Dyke, a kyke.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59It's just offensive. But I'm jealous of other minorities.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Like black people. I am jealous of you guys because you guys can take that n-word
0:52:03 > 0:52:07which is an evil and terrible word, change a couple of letters around
0:52:07 > 0:52:11and empower it, like, "What's up, that's my dog, that's my nigga."
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Little people, we can't do that.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17All right, I can't be like, "Yo, what's up, midga."
0:52:17 > 0:52:21Even for the most talented, the industry is tough.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24But this is America and the watchword is optimism.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28'I could see there being a breakout, a little person.'
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Hey, maybe me, you know?
0:52:31 > 0:52:34No, but you never know who's...
0:52:34 > 0:52:35who...
0:52:35 > 0:52:39the next generation, 20 years from now, there could be a kid
0:52:39 > 0:52:44right now who's five years old who, you know, could be a huge star.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47The progression has to come from us.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50It's our responsibility.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Of course, I'd love to say at the end of the day
0:52:52 > 0:52:56I wish people would stop taking roles that perpetuate myths
0:52:56 > 0:52:59and stereotypes, but that's not going to happen.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04If that did happen, that would be a very quick way for little people
0:53:04 > 0:53:07to send a very strong message about what's acceptable and what's not.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10I mean, I can't expect that.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I could just do that in my life, which is what I do.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17Um... The progression is going to come from education.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21And exposure to the positive roles.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22To...
0:53:23 > 0:53:27..to the new ideas and...
0:53:27 > 0:53:30the people that are willing to take a chance.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34In a rehearsal studio in London,
0:53:34 > 0:53:37some of the most talented young actors in the country
0:53:37 > 0:53:40are gathered for the Old Vic 24 Hour Plays recall.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43And Rachel is among them.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Stop the shouting, calm down.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49The best thing for all of our safety is to knock him clean out.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52We've had 1,700 applicants.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54We're getting down to 100 for this weekend,
0:53:54 > 0:53:58so anybody's who's here this weekend in our view could do the project.
0:53:58 > 0:53:59From that 100,
0:53:59 > 0:54:03a panel of experts will monitor them throughout the day
0:54:03 > 0:54:07and finally whittle them down to a company of 50.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Why did you take Rachel through to the next phase?
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Because she stood out, I think.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15By standing out you've got to be able to show your skill set
0:54:15 > 0:54:17in a very, very brief moment.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21And she has skills we're looking for. We need comic actresses.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24We need someone who's relatable, who's funny, who's warm,
0:54:24 > 0:54:26and we could hear her on stage,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28so, all those things that you need to be a good actor.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32It's a dry run for the show itself.
0:54:32 > 0:54:37Whilst the team of writers write bespoke plays for the actors,
0:54:37 > 0:54:41the actors themselves run through a variety of performances
0:54:41 > 0:54:43in front of the panel of judges.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47..your loud laughing and your migraine-inducing beats.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50A friend is getting married, we just rented the house.
0:54:50 > 0:54:55Everyone's really good but I like it.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59I'm hoping that I must be as good as them
0:54:59 > 0:55:02so when you're watching it, you're like, right, OK,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05this is like something quite big and quite serious.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07But everyone's really good
0:55:07 > 0:55:10and you can tell everyone really wants it as well.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I've usually got one on me.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18The climax of the day is to perform the play with only an hour to rehearse.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23Rachel is cast in a supporting role in a play about a group of friends.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24- I started at 12!- Really?
0:55:24 > 0:55:28I was really early. Had my first one in the 11 Plus exam.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32The role makes no reference to her height
0:55:32 > 0:55:36and the experience of the audition has given Rachel some hope.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42Do you feel like potentially that some of the boundaries
0:55:42 > 0:55:44are coming down for short actors?
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Yeah. No, I do.
0:55:48 > 0:55:53A part of me thinks that some of it is not all out of my hands either.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55I think a lot of it is in my control.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56A lot of it's not in my control,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59but it's certainly some of my responsibility
0:55:59 > 0:56:02and it's about getting yourself out there
0:56:02 > 0:56:04and putting yourself forward for it.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08I can see things. I can see things happening,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10like, they may be happening slowly
0:56:10 > 0:56:13but I'm seeing, like, movement and stuff,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17and yeah, and I think I'm feeling really positive.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21What? We're all still keeping secrets?
0:56:21 > 0:56:22APPLAUSE
0:56:26 > 0:56:27Right, everyone. That's it.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Thank you so much.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Please stay in touch with each other and us.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34It's been really nice to meet you all. Thank you very much.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35APPLAUSE
0:56:51 > 0:56:54The thing about being short, people often say to me,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57"If you could live your life again, would you want the same?"
0:56:57 > 0:57:00and I certainly would, you know.
0:57:01 > 0:57:08Being different to the average population is fun, is exciting.
0:57:08 > 0:57:14People will pierce their nose or dye their hair pink just to stand out.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15I don't have to do that.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18It's fun being different.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21As the world gets more and more populated,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25I think it's going to be more advantageous to be slightly different.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28MOBILE PHONE RINGS
0:57:31 > 0:57:33Hello?
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Yeah. Hello.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40I'm all right. How are you?
0:57:43 > 0:57:48Yeah, I loved it. Thank you. It was a really good day. Tiring.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57OK. All right, then. Well, thank you for phoning.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59All right. Bye. Bye.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03I didn't get it.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Oh, well.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16It's fine.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:25 > 0:58:29E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk