EXCLUSIVE | 'See' actress Bree Klauser says there will be more blind and low-vision actors in Season 2
Since its launch in November, AppleTV+ has been shelling out some ground-breaking content. One of their shows, 'See', is a dystopian drama in which a virus has wiped out most of mankind and left those remaining blinded, resulting in an all-blind society 600 years in the future. While the cast notably includes Jason Mamoa, what makes this show so revolutionary is the inclusion of multiple blind or low vision actors in the cast as well. MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) sat down with legally blind actress, Bree Klauser, who plays Matal on the show to talk about the necessity for this representation.
“I think that accurate representation in the media of people with disabilities, people of any kind of diversity is very important. The statistics say that only about 2% of roles in media are people with disabilities, and even less of that is played by actual actors with disabilities. So the fact that this show had about three to four recurring characters that were blind or low vision, is huge. It may seem like, ‘Oh, but everyone was blind’, but it’s such a big step,” explained the actress.
Another big step was the willingness of the other actors and even the producers and directors to alter scenes based on the feedback from the low-vision actors and consultant on set. Klauser describes one scene in Episode four where the characters are supposed to run down a hill in foreign terrain, and she explained to the director that even in a panic, blind people would take some caution running in an unknown environment, especially in rough terrain, so the latter changed the scenes on site based on her input.
“They adjusted it to make it more real, and I think it really shows in the final product. I think overall you can see the care that was taken in the show to create this world. And I think the producers and the directors will be the first ones to say that this was a learning process, a learning curve.”
The show has also been renewed for a second season, and Klauser was excited to reveal that the show is taking more steps towards being inclusionary in its second season, seeking to hire even more blind and low-vision actors. “I know for a fact that while they’re working on Season two, that they’re working on getting the numbers of inclusion higher. Like, I’m getting calls from a bunch of low vision actor friends being like, ‘Oh my god! I got a tape for ‘SEE!’ I can’t wait!’ And I’m rooting for them!”
Another aspect of the show that helps add to its realism is the fact that most of the stunts you see are completely practical, with very little CGI implemented. “That river in Episode 4, that is not CGI; that is real ice-cold glacier-fed river and me and Jason and Luke we got all up in that, in that thing.” The actress also revealed that everyone on set became extremely close, as everyone, even the extras, were flown from location to location to help create a fully immersive experience.
In fact, she talks about how she bonded with her stunt double, Tally Rodin, who helped the actress prepare to do the majority of her own stunts in that scene which had her plunging into freezing cold water. Klauser insisted on doing her own stunts for the scene, and when she asked her double for help preparing, Rodin had an unusual recommendation: spa day!
“We became really close, and to prepare for that particular stunt, we went to an outdoor, cold-water bath spa in Whistler called The Scandinave” where the two then took a series of cold water plunges. She humbly explained that “it was really helpful to go to this cold-water spa in a regular bathing suit, so then when I was in the shooting and in my protective gear underneath my costume, it was no big deal at all.”
It’s clear that Klauser’s input, along with the input of the other blind and low-vision actors/consultants on the show, will continue to make ‘See’ stand out as a more accurate and positive portrayal of low vision characters than we’ve typically seen in the past in other productions. As fans eagerly await the second season, Klauser believes this inclusive representation will only continue to grow.
“I feel like they’re going to keep bringing this knowledge that I, Marilee (Talkington, another legally blind actress who plays Souter Bax on the show) and the blindness consultant Joe Strechay brought in and just keep building on that so that each episode and each season becomes more and more of an accurate portrayal inside this super fantastical world.”
You can watch ‘See’ streaming on AppleTV+.