'Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy': Cassidy Huff on the 'extensive research' done for her disabled character
DreamWorks' push for inclusion went the extra mile on the latest season of 'Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy', as Part 2 of the series features a disabled rider, Eleanor Kimble, voiced by someone who uses a wheelchair herself in real life, Cassidy Huff, who has Conradi-Hunermann syndrome. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Huff talks about her character, how she landed the role and how the show's creators put in the research to make sure that Eleanor's portrayal was done justice.
What can you tell us about how you landed the role of Eleanor — how you came to audition, what that process was like and how you found out you were cast?
I previously had auditioned for an on screen role for another production company and unfortunately didn’t get it, but they passed my information on to DreamWorks Animation. Then DreamWorks found me about six months later and had me audition for Eleanor. I first sent in a video audition, and then I received a call back audition. I did the call back and they said they would let me know within the next month or so. So fast forward a month, I was at camp in California and was unable to have my phone. As soon as camp was over, I texted my mom and asked if she had heard anything, and she said she hadn’t. So I was slightly disappointed because usually that’s not a good sign.
Little did I know, she actually had been in contact with DreamWorks for the whole week and knew I had gotten the role of Eleanor! I was on my way home to Seattle from camp but had to sit and wait in the Burbank airport for eight hours that day. When my plane finally landed, it was about 10 pm and all I wanted was to go home and go to sleep. So when I got off the plane and headed to my gate, I saw my mom and she was holding a Spirit pillowcase, and that’s when I knew I had gotten the role! We flew back to California two weeks later and I recorded the episode.
Were you a fan of the show before you landed the part?
I was 17 when I auditioned for the role of Eleanor, so I was a little old for the show and hadn’t heard of the series. But I had heard of and watched the original Spirit movie when I was little. And of course, once I got my call back audition, I watched a couple of seasons of the show to research and prepare.
What can you tell us about your character?
Eleanor is very feisty. She has a little bit of an attitude and a whole lot of sass (which is where we are very much the same). She is very competitive and doesn’t let her disability define her or hold her back from achieving her dreams.
What's Eleanor's background with riding — what does riding mean to her?
Eleanor is a nationally ranked racer who was recruited by Coach Bradley to come to Palomino Bluffs and be on Lucky’s team. Riding means a lot to her because it’s what she’s been doing for the majority of her life. And Beans is her best friend.
How well does Eleanor get along with Lucky, Pru and Abigail?
Eleanor doesn’t really interact with Pru and Abigail during the episode. Lucky and Eleanor have a unique relationship. They start out as competitors who don’t really like each other very much, and they each have their own strengths. But the girls have to learn to get along, cooperate with each other and work out their differences.
How do you feel about the way the show has dealt with a disabled character?
When I heard that they had never had a disabled character on the show before, I was a little nervous about how it was going to be handled. But honestly, I was extremely impressed with how much research and dedication DreamWorks and the crew put into this character and how the episode turned out.
What are you hoping people take away from your character's portrayal?
I’m hoping that viewers watching will be able to take away the fact that people with disabilities can and will find ways to do what everybody can do, in a world that was not made for them. Adding to that, I would like people to know that people with disabilities can be independent as seen with Eleanor.
You've mentioned how much you appreciate the wheelchair's design for Eleanor, and how it asserts her independence — are there other details like that that the show's included that you would like people to keep an eye out for?
I love Eleanor’s horse and saddle! What viewers may not know about the show is how much research DreamWorks did on Eleanor’s specific saddle. One of the writers and creators of Eleanor shared with me that they did extensive research on how people with disabilities rode horses in the time period the show is set in. The whole creation of Eleanor really pleasantly surprised and excited me, because it shows how DreamWorks is working really hard to help with the underrepresentation the disability community faces in the television and film industries.
Are there any other projects you're working on that you'd like to talk about?
I just helped release a book that I co-authored called "Becoming An Exceptional Leader", now available on Amazon. I am currently working for Seattle Theatre Group as a teaching artist in their Broadway Inclusion Program, which is bringing the arts to youth and adults in Washington state via bi-weekly Zoom classes. I'm also currently getting ready to leave for college at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) at the end of December.
All episodes of 'Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy' Part 2 are now available to stream on Netflix.
