Bridgerton actor told disability could hold her back - then Netflix came calling

When Gracie McGonigal was starting out in her acting career, she was told she would likely struggle to find roles because of her disability.

Now she's in the new series of Bridgerton, one of the biggest TV shows on Netflix.

McGonigal was born with a limb difference - her arm stops just below her elbow joint - but she said she "hadn't realised" she had a disability at all until she began acting professionally.

"I know that sounds crazy because I literally don't have one of my hands, but when I started working in theatre, other people see it," she told the BBC Access All podcast.

McGonigal knew she wanted to pursue acting in secondary school, and attended the Brit School at sixth form, a performing and creative arts institution.

From there, she attended Mountview Academy during the pandemic, before auditioning to drama schools for a university degree.

She said it was these auditions which occasionally cast doubt on her potential to find future roles because of her disability.

"I was getting quite unhelpful chat about casting and whether I would be a good option to take on as a student with the knowledge that I might not have any work in the future, because there might not be a role for me," she said.

But McGonigal said those comments only spurred her on.

"You have to forge your own path - how are they going to have cast me already?" she said.

"They don't know I exist yet. The universe doesn't know I'm going to be an actor one day."

She decided to take a step back from performing arts institutions and sought advice from friends who also had a limb difference and worked in the industry.

She had worn a prosthetic hand during auditions as she thought she would then be judged for her acting abilities and not her disability, but one of her friends encouraged her to stop wearing a prosthetic and "own" it instead.

"I think at the end of the day, you should do things that you want to do. If you feel really comfy wearing a prosthetic, you do that because that feels like the most authentic version of yourself," McGonigal said.

"But, for me, it didn't feel like the most authentic version of myself at that time.

"I was just trying to please other people, instead of doing things that made me feel strong and powerful."

McGonigal has since been cast in numerous roles in the West End and landed the role as Hazel in season four of the hit Netflix period drama Bridgerton.

No-one with a limb difference has been on the show before, with Gracie saying it has become more than just an acting job.

"I've had to have a conversation with myself and realise, 'Oh, no, so the impact of me doing things is greater than me just being happy that I've booked a job,'" she said.

She described joining the Bridgerton cast as both "nerve-wracking" and "the best" experience.

She said it was daunting at first, as many actors in the cast already knew each other from previous seasons, but that she soon felt "part of the family".

"They were so gracious and wonderful and accepted me with open arms, it was really lovely to get to know everybody," she said.

McGonigal's character Hazel is a maid in the show, which can involve carrying "giant silver trays and baskets of sweet treats".

"I was making sure that I carried appropriately sized things that I could not drop in scenes, being mindful of my arm so that I didn't ruin any takes by accident," she said.

McGonigal described Hazel's character as very "fun to play", adding: "She's witty, she's bubbly, she's a bit of an airhead but then also very wise."

She said her limb difference was mentioned only briefly on the show between characters Benedict and his mother Violet.

As Hazel is a maid, Benedict questions if Violet is OK with Hazel having a limb difference, to which Violet replies that it is not a problem if she can do the work.

"It was mentioned in a very small thing, genuinely blink and you'll miss it, which was actually nice," Gracie said.

She said it felt like a gesture from the writers to ensure the show was "acknowledging that she has a disability".

On set McGonigal said her disability was not made a "thing", and her costumes were tailored to suit her limb difference.

"My arm is a part of me, but it's an extension of me," she said.

"It's not my most exciting feature, ideally. It's not all of who you are."

Since season four's release, McGonigal said the fan response had been "unbelievable".

"There is so much content being made online of people either with limb differences or just disabled in general, they have loved it so much, it's been amazing."

She feels herself and others are still "paving the way" for representation in the acting industry for people with disabilities.

"Disability is not a dirty word," she said.

"I'm a very happy disabled person who's thriving and doing well and acting."

She said disabled people who want to get into acting shouldn't be deterred by the idea that disabled actors would be "fighting for the same jobs".

"I think when we're sitting far back sometimes it's hard to see the potential, but if there are more disabled actors, there will be more jobs and we will have lots of opportunities," she said.

"So join in, get your training, or not, and give it a go, because it might end up well for you."