From The Walking Dead To Kinderfnger, Actress Angel Theory Puts Her Hearing Loss Front And Center – Forbes

Angel Theory, who starred in The Walking Dead and Kinderfnger, began to lose her hearing after ... [+] multiple car accidents when she was a pre-teen.

When she was first told she was losing her hearing, it was difficult for Angel Theory to accept.

As a dancer and choreographer who relied on sound, Theory felt she was losing a part of herself.

But years later, her hearing loss has proven to be her superpower - and has led the 21-year-old down a path she could have never imagined.

Theory, who plays Kelly on AMC's The Walking Dead and stars in the new Facebook Watch original horror series, Kinderfnger, didn't set out to act. The New York City native grew up dancing, with a dream of becoming a professional choreographer. She trained at the Broadway Dance Center, EXPG studios, and Peridance Studios taking tap, hip hop, jazz, ballet, and contemporary classes. For years, though, she only showed her passion for dance to her family. After mustering the courage to perform at a school talent show, it wasn't until her teen years that the world began to see Theory shine. She won first place at the show, validating her talent, and began performing amateur nights at the infamous Apollo Theatre. Theory became an Apollo child star, winning first place in six consecutive competitions. Her first big break came after director Lenny Bass hired her to work with Phillip George in the "Wish You Were Mine" and Charles Perry's "Stranger To Love" music videos.

At this point, Theory believed dancing and entertaining was her life purpose. But around the same time, when Theory was 13-years-old, she and her mother were in a car accident. Soon after, Theory realized she was losing hearing in her right ear. A few years later, another car accident would happen, resulting in nerve damage and other injuries for Theory; it ultimately led to even more severe hearing loss.

"Going through my hearing loss, I didn't realize at the time how drastic it was," Theory said. "It was something I kept very personal to me. My mom knew, of course, and close friends and family members, but, you know, also being a person of color that's gay and also in high school... it wasn't something I was very open about."

She did tell her management company, IKIGAI Management, and in 2017, when Theory was around 17, she got an email from her agent that would change her life forever. Her agent said The Walking Dead was looking to cast a person for a hard-of-hearing/deaf role, and they wanted Theory to audition.

At the time, Theory wasn't necessarily looking to act. She was also still learning and coping from the loss of her hearing. She hadn't quite admitted to herself yet that she was hard of hearing and could eventually lose her hearing entirely. However, she decided to try out for the role anyway.

"They wanted me to SimCom the entire script. And, you know, most of these words, I don't know, I've never actually signed, and I don't even sign in my normal life. So I was like, I'm not sure if I can do this," Theory said. (SimCom is an abbreviation meaning simultaneous communication. It is the act of communicating in sign language and spoken language simultaneously, and often used between people who are deaf and people who are hearing.)

"I was pretty shaky, Theory said. But then I was like, you know what, I'm going to be mad at myself if I don't try. The worst thing that can happen is a no, but I'll be upset if I never tried."

Theory tried out for 'Connie' but didn't get it; it went to Lauren Ridloff, another actress who is deaf. However, Theory impressed the writers so much that they created a new role for her - she became Connie's little sister, Kelly.

"Once I got the role, It was something that I just fell in love with instantly," Theory said.

During her time on The Walking Dead, Theory learned from her doctors that her hearing loss was getting worse. The new actress struggled to come to terms with her new reality. She grew up with music, as a dancer and choreographer; her talent revolved around her hearing.

"The realization that the music doesn't sound the same, or I will have the volume all the way up, and it doesn't feel like anything's happening, stuff like that just made me feel like, I'm losing a huge part of myself," Theory explained.

"I just felt like part of my identity was being taken away."

Theory also grew up in the hearing community and hadnt personally known any deaf people. She feared she would be judged for her hearing loss, making it difficult to speak about openly. But Theory did have one person to turn to, her older sister on The Walking Dead, Lauren Ridloff, who became like a sister in real life.

"I cried, and I told her how I felt. I told her how scared I was when it came to music and dancing and just not being seen as normal," Theory said.

"She helped me realize that you can't change it, but at the end of the day, you can allow yourself to adjust in a positive way and still be able to do things that you love to do, regardless of your hearing loss."

In the end, the writers of The Walking Dead actually wrote part of Theory's personal journey into the show; they made her progressive hearing loss part of her story.

Angel Theory stars in the lead role for the new Facebook Watch series, Kinderfnger.

Since her acting debut, Theory's career has flourished. Following The Walking Dead, she was sent the script for Crypt TV's Kinderfnger on Facebook Watch. She enjoyed the script and wanted to learn more. Following a meeting with the show's writers and directors, she accepted the lead role of Olivia, a hard of hearing/deaf teacher, who goes on a search for children who have gone missing. She eventually finds herself in a battle with the Kinderfnger, a mythical creature who will stop at nothing to keep the children he's stolen.

Angel Theory acting in her second series, Kinderfnger, on Facebook Watch.

Darren Brandl, Crypt TV's COO and executive producer of Kinderfnger, called Theory a one-of-a-kind star and an absolute force. He said she poured her soul into the character, Olivia, and used her real-life experiences of being deaf/hard of hearing to bring authenticity.

"We don't see enough stories about characters from the deaf/hard of hearing community; we don't see enough characters from underrepresented communities, period," Brandl said. "We have a responsibility to produce more stories that reflect the broader world around us, and this is a core part of Crypt TV's mission, and with Kinderfnger, we're proud of Angel; she brought this one to life, it matters."

Theory's journey in Hollywood is only beginning, but she says shes only had positive experiences when it comes to her disability. Whether she needed an interpreter onset or a further explanation about something, she received it. But she is aware that not every person with a disability has positive experiences in Hollywood, and that the disability community is often discriminated against in the industry. She also understands that there is a severe lack of representation in television and film regarding minority and disabled people on screen and behind the scenes.

She is thankful she is now a part of changing Hollywood culture for the better. She wants to be an inspiration for anyone in the minority, LGBTQ, or disability community to understand their dreams are attainable.

"If I had seen myself, someone that looked like me, or was relatable to me on screen, it would have made me feel so much more comfortable being open about it because I would have been able to sit there and be like, well, if she can do it, then I can do it," Theory said.

"We have a world of so many different people; TV and movies should represent that."

This article is part of a series called Seen: Spotlighting Disability Representation in Hollywood. Every month, ForbesWomen will highlight a woman or girl with a disability in Hollywood with the purpose of uplifting their voices and showing the impact people with different abilities have on the industry.

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From The Walking Dead To Kinderfnger, Actress Angel Theory Puts Her Hearing Loss Front And Center - Forbes