The First Disabled Character To Regular Show Up On A Primetime Show
Geri Jewell, a cerebral palsy comedian who producer Norman Lear had seen perform at the Media Access Awards in 1980, played this character. “I got a standing ovation, and I ran into Norman in the elevator,” Jewell later recalled. “He said, ‘You’ll be hearing from me really soon, kid.’ Three months later, he called me with the ‘Cousin Geri’ episode [in season two].” Over the next few years, Jewell appeared on the show a dozen times. Jewell was most recently a regular on HBO’s Deadwood and a guest star on Glee.
The First Disabled Character To Regular Show Up On A Primetime Show
ADVERTISEMENT