'Out of My Mind' Actor Phoebe-Rae Taylor Plays a Girl With Cerebral Palsy, and Lives With It Herself

One of Disney Plus's newest movies, Out of My Mind, features a child living with cerebral palsy and navigating a world not designed to help people with disabilities.

The film stars Phoebe-Rae Taylor, whose character Melody Brooks lives with cerebral palsy. But Phoebe-Rae isn't just playing a person in a wheelchair, she lives with cerebral palsy herself and also uses a wheelchair. The up-and-coming Disney star hopes that her movie helps people understand how disabled people are often treated in a world that likes to consider itself "advanced," but so often falls short.

Phoebe-Rae first auditioned for her role in the film when she was 10, about four years ago. But COVID put things on hold, which meant that her first starring role was also on hold. Now, however, Phoebe-Rae has had her chance to shine.

The year 10 student is from Essex, and plays Melody, a sixth-grader who is nonverbal and lives in a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. In the movie, Melody makes use of assistive voice technology, played by the voice of Jennifer Aniston.

Friends help her navigate the harrowing world of middle school, and Melody tells her story through Jennifer's voice, dealing with people's low expectations as she continuously succeeds and proves the doubters around her wrong.

Of course, the movie is more than just a feel-good exploration of what it looks like to live with a disability. It's also a frank and honest look at how people often look down on and mistreat disabled people, even if they have good intentions. Just because someone has a physical disability doesn't mean their mind isn't working, and Phoebe-Rae has taken this opportunity to tell the story of her life and many people like her, giving voice to their journey.

Phoebe-Rae filmed in Canada in 2022, but managed to only miss two weeks of school work, which speaks to her dedication to remain a good student. Speaking with the BBC, she said of the experience that everyone was very nice, adding, "I was in awe of it all because I've not had that many people pay me attention before, so I was like: 'Oh my God, everyone likes me and is interested in me.'

She gushed, "Everybody was so nice. I think they were the nicest people I've ever met in my life."

The young actor hopes that her character will help tell the story of how disabled people are treated, explaining, "I think people forget how people with disabilities get treated. Even if they look or sound a bit different — they're not."

It wasn't easy for the young starlet to film, however. She added, "I hate looking at myself on anything. I'm not confident at all, so it was so weird, but I felt like the storyline is so important and so powerful — it's amazing to watch."

Out of My Mind will be streaming on Disney Plus starting Nov. 22, 2024.