James Caverly
Born1988 or 1989 (age 34–35)
EducationGallaudet University
Years active2011–present

James "Joey" Caverly (born in 1988 or 1989)[1] is an American actor who has been deaf since birth.

Personal life

Caverly was born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan.[2][3] He has been deaf since birth[1] and has an older sister who is also deaf, as well as two younger brothers who are hearing;[4] his parents are hearing, as well.[2]

In 2007, Caverly graduated from Lahser High School,[5] a mainstream school in the Bloomfield Hills School District with a program for deaf and hard of hearing students.[2][1] In 2011, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Gallaudet University.[2][3][1]

As of 2022, Caverly lives in New York City.[5]

Career

After graduating from Gallaudet University, Caverly joined National Theatre of the Deaf, where he both directed and acted in plays for two years.[2][3][1]

Following his time with National Theatre of the Deaf, Caverly performed with Huntington Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, Kitchen Theatre Company, and SpeakEasy Stage Company. In 2018, he performed in a Broadway production of Children Of A Lesser God with Studio 54.[5]

Aside from acting, Caverly has also directed plays, including a production of Romeo and Juliet in both American Sign Language and spoken English for Community College of Baltimore County Community Theatre.[3][6]

Portrayals of deafness in media

Caverly has spoken publicly about the lack of accurate representation of deafness in film and television, as well as on stage. He has discussed how, in many media portrayals, the deaf person is "the problem, they’re the issue in the story that needs to be fixed," which is not "the lens that the world needs to see."[3][1]

Although he has experienced some barriers to his acting career due to his deafness, Caverly has stated, "As a deaf person I’m already invested in communicating through my body ... And when I’m on stage it’s really easy for me to find that piece of emotion because I do it on a day to day basis."[1]

Only Murders in the Building

Through Only Murders in the Building he had the opportunity to craft and artfully act as a complex deaf character. Caverly has previously indicated, "there are one too many creators who write disabled characters as two-dimensional: fixating on their disability without room for growth."[4] However, Caverly worked with series co-creator John Hoffman and director Cherien Dabis "to figure out how to portray Theo authentically without feeling like a gimmick. Aside from the dialogue changes, [the trio] talked about how a deaf person views the world," making the character creation "a true collaborative effort between the creators and [Caverly] to bring the character to life."[4]

In 2021, the series included an episode that had only one line of dialogue and featured Caverly's character. When asked about the episode, Caverly said, "Framing the entire episode in the perspective of a Deaf person is a subversive act" because "[i]t forces the audience to listen closely, but with their eyes instead of ears."[7] In crafting the episode, Caverly worked closely with director Cherien Dabis to more accurately represent his experiences as a deaf person, including camera angles.[7] Additionally, the episode's screenwriters, Stephen Markley and Ben Philippe, shied away from making Caverly's character too "exceptional," indicating that people with disabilities, much like able-bodied people, are imperfect but not villainous.[7]

Caverly appeared in the second season of Only Murders in the Building and further highlighted the existing misrepresentation of deafness in media. Importantly, Caverly's and Selena Gomez's characters attempt to converse with one another, but Gomez's character does not know sign language. Caverly's character informs her that he can only catch about a third of what she says based on reading lips. This scene, in particular, is important because "Communication is something that, when Deaf people are present on-screen, usually isn’t perceived as a problem when it is."[8]

After working on Only Murders in the Building, Caverly said that he is ready to explore more roles that do not fixate on the character's hearing loss, especially when the character's deafness does not elevate the plot. He asserts that "true inclusion would mean more disabled people in the writing room, behind the camera, and on the production team."[7] Including disabled people in every step of the process would, he claims, help to "dismantle" the "tired portrayal of disabled characters on TV."[7]

Awards and honors

The Only Murders in the Building episode "The Boy from 6B" was given the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for Caverly's portrayal of Theo, as an actor with a disability and at least five lines of dialogue.[9]

In 2022, Caverly was thought to be a possible contender for an Emmy Award nomination for his role on Only Murders in the Building,[10] which would have made him the first deaf actor to be nominated, though he did not receive a nomination.[11]

Year Award Result
2010 World Deaf Cinema Festival Award for Best Student Mini-15 Short Won
2014 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Production by a Midsize Theatre Won
Independent Reviewers of New England Award for Best Actor in a Play (Midsize) Nominated
Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, HAYES Production Nominated
2015 Theatre Bay Area Award of Outstanding Performance by the Ensemble of a Play Won
2019 Syracuse Area Live Theatre Award for Leading Actor in a Play Nominated
2023 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical Won

Filmography

Year Title Role Note
2018–2019 Chicago Med Peter Rush 2 episodes:
  • "Be My Better Half"
  • "With a Brave Heart"
2020 A Bennett Song Holiday Adam Song
2021–present Only Murders in the Building Theo Dimas 7 episodes:
  • "Who Is Tim Kono?"
  • "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?"
  • "The Boy from 6B"
  • "Fan Fiction"
  • "Here's Looking at You"
  • "Flipping the Pieces"
  • ”CoBro”

Stage performances

Level Title Role Company
Broadway Children of a Lesser God Cast member Studio 54
Regional Beertown Nate Brunnel Dog & Pony DC
A Child’s Christmas in Wales Dylan Thomas National Theatre of the Deaf
I Was Most Alive With You Shadow Interpreter Huntington Theatre Company
Journey of Identity Laurent Clerc National Theatre of the Deaf
Squares Ensemble Dog & Pony DC
Stories In My Pocket Too Ensemble National Theatre of the Deaf
Tales of Honor & Anchovies Innamorati Faction of Fools
Tribes Billy Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Kitchen Theatre Company
SpeakEasy Stage Company[2]
Studio Theatre
W-5s: Stories Behind Ensemble National Theatre of the Deaf
The Music Man Harold Hill Olney Theater Center

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shea, Andrea (September 26, 2013). "Deaf Actor James Caverly Brings His World Center Stage In 'Tribes'". WBUR. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Meet James Caverly". SpeakEasy. September 13, 2013. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "James Caverly Full Biography". Broadway World. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Stine, Alison (August 3, 2022). "'Only Murders in the Building' star on the creation of Theo, the show's conscience". Salon. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Alumnus James Caverly Stars in 'Only Murders In The Building'". Bloomfield Hills Schools. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  6. Cristi, A. A. "Academic Theatre and Interpreter Preparation Program Bring ROMEO AND JULIET to the Stage". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Mazzeo, Esme. "Inside the making of an 'Only Murders in the Building' episode with only one line of dialogue — and why Deaf star James Caverly wants to 'dismantle' the 'tired portrayal of disabled characters on TV'". Insider. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  8. Lopez, Kristen (August 3, 2022). "'Only Murders in the Building': Theo Dimas Remains Unsung MVP of the Series". IndieWire. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  9. Sun, Rebecca (April 14, 2022). "Marvel's 'Eternals,' 'Hawkeye' Earn Recognition for Disability Representation (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  10. "Vanity Fair's 2022 Emmy Nominations Predictions". Vanity Fair. July 7, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  11. Davis, Clayton (May 16, 2022). "How James Caverly and Nathan Lane's Emmy Submissions for 'Only Murders in the Building' Could Make History". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
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