𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Fellow actor Beau Bradfield said: “As an actor with facial scarring, I know how important it is to see people with visible differences represented on screen as real, complex people.

“I want children growing up with visible differences to see characters who look like them being heroes, friends, parents and love interests – not just villains.”

About 4.9 million people in the UK have a visible difference, the charity said.

As part of its work to monitor visible difference representation, it has worked with the Creative Diversity Network to include visible difference as a category in its diversity data monitoring and reporting.

Louise Wright, chief executive of Changing Faces, said: “For years we’ve asked the industry to think about the stories it tells about visible difference.

“Now, for the first time, we have proof that those stories don’t stay on screen – they shape how people with visible difference are treated in real life.

“Halloween is the moment this is impossible to ignore, which is why we’re asking industry, and the public, to help us change it.”

Bailey Frances, from Cambridge-based Shakyra Dowling Casting, a member of the Casting Directors’ Association, said: “Getting it right matters.

“Villains are often written with visible differences (eg facial scars) as shorthand, but asking whether a character could be interpreted differently, or whether that difference is essential to the story, leads to better, more truthful storytelling,” she said.

“We regularly present actors who don’t match the description on the page but fit the character perfectly, and they’re often the ones who get the job.

“Casting directors are in a unique position to widen the search and open up the conversation with writers and directors, challenging the initial casting briefs where needed.”

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