‘Cha Cha Real Smooth,‘ ’Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Among Ruderman Seal of Authentic Representation Recipients (EXCLUSIVE)
Michaela Zee editor “Cha Cha Real Smooth” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” are among the recent honorees of the Ruderman Family Foundation’s Seal of Authentic Representation, Variety has learned exclusively. The Foundation recognizes films and television series that include authentic representation of people with disabilities. Vanessa Burghardt, an actor with autism, plays Domino’s (Dakota Johnson) autistic daughter Lola in the comedy-drama film “Cha Cha Real Smooth.” “From the moment the film’s creator, Cooper Raiff, saw Vanessa’s audition, he knew instantly that she was our Lola. No one could deny her talent but authenticity was important to everyone, so Cooper changed the script to age up the character and that was the end of it. Looking back, I cannot imagine another person playing Lola,” said producer Jessica Switch in a statement. “Vanessa was perfect. She was extremely professional and sweet on set. She nailed every take and always came prepared. She also brought her personal experience to the character. The headphones that she wears in the movie are her own headphones, and similar to the character, Vanessa uses them as a source of comfort and security.”