Page 47 - Peter Farrelly Issue

Known for his cinematic hits such as "Dumb and Dumber," "There's Something About Mary," and the Oscar-winning "Green Book," Farrelly has consistently transcended the status quo by authenti- cally representing people with disabilities in his films. His commitment to inclusivity not only reflects the realities of life but also enriches his work by offering audiences a more diverse and gen- uine experience.
ABILITY Magazine's Chet Cooper caught up with Farrelly while he was crawling through LA’s traf- fic. He shares details of his life choices and journey toward being a writer, director and producer, as well as his current work and motivation for inclusion.
Chet Cooper: I was googling to see your recent work when I came across an article about the Media Access Awards that mentioned you and how impressed the writer was with who you are and how you listened to the stories of all the people who attended. Turns out, it was our article that we ran several years ago by Hope Allen in 2003!
Peter Farrelly: Oh, yeah!
Cooper: Anyway, I want to start with “Champions,” if we could talk a little bit about that movie. I saw it originally when it came out, the French version.
Farrelly: I think it was a Spanish version.
Cooper: Spanish? You know what? It might have been Spanish. Yes, I get those two countries con- fused.
Farrelly: (laughs) Actually, I didn’t do “Champions,” my brother Bobby did.
Cooper: Oh, OK.
Farrelly: Yeah, Bobby made “Champions.” It was a movie that Woody Harrelson had wanted to
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