{"id":12495,"date":"2022-03-20T10:00:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T09:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1608060"},"modified":"2022-03-20T10:33:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T09:33:11","slug":"ruth-madeley-says-then-barbara-met-alan-is-highlight-of-her-career","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/ruth-madeley-says-then-barbara-met-alan-is-highlight-of-her-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruth Madeley says Then Barbara Met Alan is \u2018highlight of her career\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Morgan Jeffery\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 20 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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BAFTA-nominated actress Ruth Madeley has described upcoming BBC Two film Then Barbara Met Alan<\/a> as \u201cthe highlight\u201d of her career after being approached by co-writer Jack Thorne to play activist Barbara Lisicki.<\/p>\n

The one-off drama explores the true story of how Barbara and her partner Alan Holdsworth (Arthur Hughes) founded DAN \u2013 the Disabled People\u2019s Direct Action Network \u2013 and lead protests for disabled rights.<\/p>\n

Their campaign eventually led to the Disability Discrimination Act becoming law in 1995,\u00a0providing the first protections against disability discrimination in the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor so many reasons, this has been the highlight of my career but also the highlight of my existence as a disabled woman,\u201d Madeley said at a recent press event.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as Jack told me about it, I was like, \u2018Yes, I\u2019m all in!\u2019 and that fire and that passion only grew more when I got the pleasure of meeting this f**king warrior woman superhero [Lisicki], who I think is absolutely incredible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Madeley \u2013 who was born with spina bifida \u2013 admitted that portraying Barbara on-screen was \u201cterrifying\u201d given all she\u2019d accomplished for disabled people. \u201c<\/span>I was so frightened, because I\u2019d come on board this really early and then I thought, \u2018What if she hates me?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if she thinks, \u2018Why did you hire her, of all people?\u2019 \u2013 I was just really desperate to do Barbara justice and also the story of DAN and what was achieved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though he played a supporting role in Thorne\u2019s Channel 4 drama Help<\/a>, the role of Alan marks actor Arthur Hughes\u2019 first lead role on-screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a disabled actor, to play a lead role, it\u2019s rare,\u201d said Hughes, who has radial dysplasia affecting his right arm. \u201cSo to play such a fantastic character as Alan was\u2026 obviously I was so excited.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut to be around so many disabled creatives, I\u2019d never been around so many disabled people in one place. It was massively empowering. I was walking taller after this job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n