Disney+'s Out of My Mind's cast and director talk disability representation and becoming a family
By Tiara Starks
Have you ever felt like you're destined for more? Follow the story of Melody Brooks, a brilliant sixth-grader with cerebral palsy, who struggles to communicate her intelligence in a world that often overlooks people with her condition in Disney+’s latest film release Out of My Mind. The coming-of-age film premiered on Disney+ on Nov. 22 and is available to stream now. Based on the best-selling novel by Sharon Draper, the film showcases Brooks' world being burst wide open with the help of a young educator as she overcomes incredible challenges to find her voice.
Bringing this story to life is an exceptional cast that includes Luke Kirby as Chuck Brooks, Rosemarie DeWitt as Diane Brooks, Judith Light as Mrs. V, and newcomer Phoebe Rae Taylor in her breakout role as Melody. The voice of actress Jennifer Aniston is heard as Melody's internal voice. The film is directed by Amber Sealey, from a screenplay written by Daniel Stiepleman. Out of My Mind is produced by Disney Branded Television, Big Beach, Participant, Reunion Pacific Entertainment, and EveryWhere Studios.
The Parent Watch sat down with Sealey, Kirby, DeWitt, and Taylor to reveal what it was like to be part of a project that not only entertains but also inspires. The film marks Taylor's acting debut. The actress, who has cerebral palsy herself, talks about how important playing this role was for both herself and others. Sealey speaks about taking the story from the page to the screen, while Kirby and DeWitt offer insight into their roles as Melody's supportive parents. Read on as we learn more about Out of My Mind and the significance of portraying diverse stories for audiences of all ages.
Luke, jumping into Chuck and the relationship with Melody, seeing it being so special, when you were working directly with Phoebe and establishing that relationship, how did that come about?
Luke Kirby: We had some time before shooting to get to know each other. Amber was really good about organizing opportunities for us to meet...Well, not exactly in rooms. We were still doing those awkward Covid-era meetings in parks and on balconies and things like that. It was valuable time—you're not always granted that, but looking back, I realize it was essential for helping us connect. I think it was especially important for me in getting to know Phoebe [Rae-Taylor] as a person and understanding her sense of humor. Her humor is incredible. In exploring the challenges this family faces, and what Melody is up against, Phoebe brought a levity to the whole experience that made going to work every day feel extra joyful and full of zest.
Amber, you're obviously instrumental to this production as a director. With the film being such a heartwarming, coming-of-age tale, what was your process when you were breaking down the script and getting into figuring out what moments were really going to stand out?
Amber Sealey: That's an interesting question! There are so many different phases to that, right? You start with the writing of the film. I didn’t write it—Daniel Stiepleman wrote it—but I worked with him on some changes once I came on board. There's the phase where you're really breaking it down. Then, during production, you're figuring out which moments and set pieces you want to amplify. But I think most of it really happens in post-production, where you determine the rhythm and timing. We always knew there were certain things we wanted to highlight and give special attention to.
Luke, having been on tons of sets over the course of your career, what about this production is so special?
LK: I've worked with Amber before, and it was the beginning of a great friendship. Amber makes this set, not just a fun place to be, but an important place to be and a place where you do feel like you're exploring something and allowed to keep your curiosity alive and maybe even occasionally have illuminations come your way. She put together a really formidable cast of actors, and we were exploring young kids' lives. I was young once, but I've forgotten about it. It was really cool to have that young energy around, and Amber handled it beautifully. It was just great to be around.
Amber, since this is an adaptation, it's based on a novel that people know and love. When you have that in mind as a filmmaker, how do you process that? What is the director's mindset like?
AS: It's daunting when you're working with a novel that's so beloved by so many people and has been on the bestseller list for 15 years. It's definitely scary because you think, 'God, so many kids and families love this book, and it means so much to them.' You just hope to preserve the essence of what they love about it in the film. I hope we did that. Of course, in a film, you don’t have the same amount of time, so some things have to be cut. But I think we kept the heart of the character and the family intact, and that’s what’s most important. It’s also really fun knowing there’s a built-in audience—so many people love the book and the series of books, and they’re going to be curious about the film. They come to it with their own expectations, whether it’s love or criticism, but they already have hopes and dreams for the characters and the story. I think that ultimately helps.
Rosemarie, getting into preparation for a character like this; Were you familiar with the book and did you take any formal inspiration from what was described of Diane or was it picking from Amber and just seeing where the character would go?
Rosemarie Dewitt: You know, my kids were young enough at the time where they hadn't come across the book yet. We felt like we did read the book and we did depart the book a little bit. I kind of really stuck to the book slowly and really started by thinking, 'Oh, no, all of us. I could adopt me. You realize that the spirit is so much less about teaching and more about listening; so much more about asking questions.
Phoebe, I wanted to ask you as the lead playing Melody, you know, what does that mean to you? You see the story all about Melody finding her independence. And what does independence mean to you as this character?
Phoebe Rae-Taylor: I'm so honored to get role model so many young kids and I think that is so important to have because I tell my choices. When I was 8 years old, I remember being so excited that there's a character like me so it was such an honor to get to play the role.
Rosemarie, the film is something where there is an audience for this already. What did it feel like on set to really be immersed in that world and bring it to life?
RD: You would think that it would be really sad or something. And it wasn't. It was the most joyful stuff. We had so much fun together. We became a mob. Sometimes we laugh so hard. We had to wait to roll on her because we were just having a blast. I will say I was really in awe of Phoebe Ray because the courage did a check to step out on them.
Was there funny moments on set? I know it could be very emotional.
PRT: Oh, I fall as you are. And I remember that was a time we would spend laughing. She would not talk to me, and it was so funny.
RD: I think I would just really, like, geek out watching Phoebe. She had all these inside jokes with Luke. She had all these inside jokes with Eddie [Rubin], our producer. Every time I looked over, I'm trying to get into the scene and she's doing something mischievous. She's telling a story. She's teaching us to act with her accent.
RD: It was really fun to be around so many kids who were able to fully express themselves with such joy. As I mentioned earlier, we were there to learn from them. As an actress, I also learned a lot from Phoebe about slowing down, and how much more you can take in when you pay attention to the world around you. I realized how much more fully she pays attention than I do, especially when I'm rushing through my day and could stand to slow down a bit.
See the trailer for Out of My Mind on Disney+'s official YouTube channel:
Out of My Mind is available to stream now on Disney+ .