Noah Matthews, the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a Disney movie: “It was an incredible experience”

The adventurer Peter Pan and the evil Captain Hook will once again take over the screens; this Friday, April 28 Disney+ plans the release of the movie Peter Pan and Wendy. The film will have a performance that will mark a milestone, for the first time the American company will have a leading actor Down syndrome.

Is about Noah Matthews, a 15-year-old teenager from Britain who will personify in the film Lightly. This character is the leader of the Lost children who confronts Captain Hook in Neverland.

The actor was more than happy on social networks, where he did not hide the pride that he felt when he saw himself on a movie poster. “It’s me! The new posters came out today. Only a month left until the premiere of Peter Pan and Wendy! I can’t wait for you to see it”I wrote almost a month ago.

In an interview with the sun shared what this project meant. “It was a great experience, I had my own caravan and I made a lot of good friends. We all learned how to fight with swords, which I loved. I had to learn a lot of rules very quickly, but it was exciting.” revealed.

He landed the role in mid-2021, after sending his video and meeting with David Lagery, director of the film, who was fascinated with Matthews because he also shared his taste for the novel lord of the flies, by William Golding.

The Brit is an actor in plays and hopes to study Drama at university in the future. At this point, he has become a reference both at his school and at the talent agency to which he belongs. “Down syndrome never has to stop you, we have to accept the differences”, said the director of the charity Down Syndrome UK, according to a note from Hello.

This new version of Peter Pan is in the lead role Alexander Molony16 years old, as Peter Pan; Yara Shahidi like Tinkerbell, Ever Anderson, age 15, as Wendy; And Jude lawLike Captain Hook.