3ft Actress Stopped Growing At 5 Years Old | BORN DIFFERENT
HOLLYWOOD actress, Ali Chapman, was born with hypochondroplasia - a rare form of dwarfism - and stands at 3ft 8" tall, meaning she often gets mistaken for a being child and has even played children in movies. Ali was "about five years old" when she "stopped growing" and remembers "trying to blend in" at high school, as she wasn't "comfortable in my own skin at that time". When Ali started out on her career, she could never have imagined walking red carpets and regular nights out with A-list stars, but she now lives in Los Angeles and has forged a successful career in the TV and film industry. Her big break came when she replied to an advert posted online, seeking "a little person for a body double and a stand-in for a major motion picture". That film turned out to be the blockbuster I Am Legend, starring Will Smith in the lead role. Producers asked Ali to send in photographs of herself and she soon received news back that she had been selected to act as body double to Willow Smith - who was six years old at the time. Ali explained to Truly: "There are scenes where [Will Smith] is picking his daughter up. She would come out of the scene and would be replaced by me... I'd be cheek-to-cheek with him... So that was pretty cool!" Since that "life-changing" experience, Ali has appeared in numerous TV and film roles, but many of those have been "character roles, a lot of costume work". She has played elves and leprechauns and feels she has been "pigeon-holed for those types of roles". Ali's aim is now to play her part in pushing Hollywood to cast little people in roles that could just as easily be played by an actor of average height. And after her appearance in an episode of Better Things - as a character who just happened to be a little person - Ali is on her way to achieving that goal. She told Truly: "You don't have to just have little people be these creatures... At the end of the day we are people with dignity, we are people that are just trying to make it just like everyone else."
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Transcript
00:00 I play children in movies because I'm so small.
00:02 I'm a little person working in Hollywood.
00:05 I am three feet, eight inches tall.
00:07 Most of the roles that I get cast for are character roles.
00:12 Elves or leprechauns.
00:15 Why couldn't I play a lead in a romantic comedy?
00:19 Hollywood's not really thinking outside of the box.
00:21 I am a little person actress in Hollywood
00:28 and I have a rare form of dwarfism
00:31 called hypochondroplasia.
00:32 I have a shorter torso but longer limbs.
00:37 People do mistake me as a child a lot.
00:39 I get it, like, you know, you see me from behind
00:43 and with my body type, you know, I could look like a child.
00:47 I was probably about five years old when I stopped growing.
00:52 I think I noticed I was different probably in first grade
00:57 because that's when my peers started to grow taller than me.
01:02 When I reached high school, I was pretty nervous
01:06 because those kids, they didn't grow up with me.
01:08 They didn't see me on a regular basis.
01:10 They weren't used to me.
01:11 So I remember being very scared at first.
01:13 There were two other little people in my high school.
01:16 I think back then I was kind of a little weird
01:19 about being around other little people.
01:21 It was kind of a reminder of my situation
01:24 and I always wanted to try to blend in
01:26 and I wasn't comfortable in my own skin at that time.
01:30 So I rent where I live, but ideally I would love
01:36 to have a custom-made kitchen where everything is lowered.
01:41 I just use the old stool to get up and down
01:45 and do what I need to do.
01:48 I've been in LA for 12 years.
01:50 I've done quite a bit, retail sales,
01:53 administrative assistance.
01:55 I paid the bills, but there wasn't much creativity there.
01:59 It was great when I was able to move along to TV and film.
02:03 My first on-screen role was in the movie "I Am Legend."
02:07 I was searching on the internet and there was a post there
02:10 needing a little person for a body double
02:14 and a stand-in for a major motion picture.
02:18 So I submitted an email.
02:19 They wanted to see pictures of me, my body type,
02:24 from head to toe.
02:25 So my sister took a bunch of pictures of me, front, back,
02:29 just so they could see what my body looked like.
02:32 Finally, I got the word from production
02:34 that I was selected to be Willow Smith's body double.
02:39 She was six years old at the time.
02:41 There was scenes where he's picking his daughter up.
02:43 She would come out of the scene
02:45 and then I would be replaced by me.
02:47 So Will Smith was picking me up all the time
02:50 and I'm like cheek to cheek with him.
02:52 So that was pretty cool.
02:54 I met so many people on set.
02:55 I learned about the TV and film industry.
02:58 It was life-changing for me.
02:59 A lot of people don't know how to react
03:03 or they stare or they look,
03:05 and I blame that on the media.
03:08 Little people in general are not shown that often.
03:12 People just don't think we're real.
03:13 People don't think that we have real feelings, real emotions.
03:18 You've seen us in TV and media
03:20 as like elf running around or a leprechaun,
03:23 but at the end of the day, we're just people.
03:27 Most of the roles that I get cast for are character roles,
03:32 a lot of costume work.
03:34 I feel like most of the time I'm pigeonholed
03:36 for those type of roles,
03:37 but every now and then someone will think outside of the box
03:41 and cast one of us as just a person.
03:44 I was in a TV show called "Better Things"
03:47 and the main character wanted a little person
03:50 for the scene that I was in,
03:51 but she didn't want the scene
03:52 to be about being a little person.
03:54 It was definitely the highlight of my career.
03:57 You don't have to just have little people
04:00 being these creatures.
04:02 We are normal people.
04:03 We're people.
04:03 Hello!
04:07 How are you?
04:09 - I'm good, how are you?
04:10 - Good.
04:11 Are you ready to shop?
04:12 - This is one of my favorite stores.
04:14 Clothes shopping is hard when you're a little person.
04:16 I usually have to buy children's clothes.
04:18 I find clothes shopping very frustrating
04:21 because I can open up a magazine
04:23 or see one of my girlfriends and see what they're wearing.
04:26 I wouldn't wear it.
04:27 I would not have that look.
04:28 And so it's very hard to find that in a children's shop.
04:33 - Look at that.
04:33 - Oh, that is so cute.
04:34 - That is so, so cute.
04:35 And it's a necktie, too. - That is super cute.
04:37 - I met Allie about two years ago at a networking event.
04:40 We were both in the industry.
04:42 - I really like the color.
04:43 - I like it, too.
04:44 - And I think you're right.
04:45 I think this will be really good for the audition.
04:47 - Little necktie and everything.
04:48 I love it.
04:49 No problem.
04:50 - I'll be back.
04:51 - The thing about Allie is that
04:52 she brings life anywhere she goes.
04:55 It could be a doll room, whatever.
04:57 She's lighting it up.
04:57 And I know a lot of people say that to be cliche,
04:59 but she really does.
05:00 - I thought, oh!
05:04 I love this one.
05:05 Okay, spin.
05:05 Let me see.
05:06 Okay.
05:07 Okay, this is the look.
05:08 This is the look.
05:09 Okay.
05:10 Turn back.
05:10 Let me see.
05:11 Okay, paparazzi.
05:12 Paparazzi!
05:13 'Cause I'm here.
05:14 I'm here.
05:15 I'm here.
05:15 - You think it'd be good for the audition?
05:16 - Yeah, I think it would.
05:17 I love this look.
05:18 - Thank you.
05:19 - I think this is perfect.
05:20 - I'm gonna do the black heels and some jewelry.
05:23 - I think that looks good.
05:25 - And then give it my best shot.
05:27 - I love that one.
05:28 She looks beautiful and I'm excited.
05:29 She could get awards just for the outfit.
05:31 That's it.
05:32 If she didn't want to act, she's fine.
05:33 She could do modeling right now and she's good.
05:35 - Here you go, ladies.
05:37 - Ah, thank you.
05:39 Thank you for helping me today.
05:41 - Any opportunities.
05:42 - Like, for helping me find an outfit for the audition.
05:45 - So the role you're about to book.
05:46 There you go.
05:47 You're gonna book it.
05:48 - I'm gonna take this since it's done.
05:50 You already got it.
05:51 You got it.
05:51 - Manifesting that?
05:52 - Now you just gotta show up to set.
05:53 - I know you can do romantic interest roles.
05:56 Like, you could be the lead woman.
05:57 But do you think, do they gear it towards that?
05:59 Unless it's already specified for a little woman.
06:01 - Yeah, see, I wish people saw it the way you did.
06:04 - Yeah, like anyone.
06:05 - Why can't you just be a producer?
06:07 Why couldn't I play a lead in a romantic comedy?
06:11 I've had to deal with that most of my Hollywood career.
06:14 But I just want other people to take notice.
06:18 Like, why not?
06:19 My hopes and dreams for the future
06:21 is that I can do more in TV and film.
06:25 I would love to be submitted for more roles.
06:28 Just roles in general.
06:29 Roles that don't necessarily have to be for a little person.
06:34 Just that someone sees my ability to act and says,
06:38 "You know what?
06:39 "She'd be great for that role."
06:40 Cheers to us.
06:41 - Okay.
06:42 - For more opportunities.
06:44 For us navigating through life.
06:46 - Love it.
06:47 - Amazing as we are.
06:49 - Sorry, I'm going for that.
06:52 - We are just like you.
06:53 We just happen to be a couple of feet shorter.
06:55 That's it.
06:56 We pay bills just like you.
06:58 Most of us go to work just like you.
07:00 We have emotions.
07:01 We have feelings.
07:03 So when someone's out and about
07:04 and you're staring at little people
07:06 or making fun of little people,
07:08 just keep in mind that we can hear you.
07:10 We can see you.
07:11 Sure, we might have to do things differently.
07:14 The way we do things in our home or reach things.
07:17 We might not do everything just like you,
07:19 but at the end of the day,
07:21 we are people with dignity.
07:23 We are people that are just trying to make it
07:26 just like everyone else.
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