Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Booth.
Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hey! I’m Amanda Booth, and I was born on an army base in Upstate New York. I grew up on the East Coast – my dad is a factory worker, and my mom is a secretary. I moved to NY to pursue my dream of modeling and acting in 2005. After a few years, I came across the country to Los Angeles to focus more on acting! I have had the honor to be featured in over 80 national network TV commercials, traveled the world for modeling campaigns, been on billboards, in magazines, and guest starred on a few hit TV shows! I got married eleven years ago, and a year later, we welcomed our son Micah into the world. Much to our surprise, he was born with Down Syndrome! Three years later, he received a secondary diagnosis of Autism. He’s almost ten, and he is still nonverbal.
It was when he was born, I noticed the lack of inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the media. I set out to change stereotypes and the future for all kids like mine, paving the way for representation by simply showing up with Micah at castings even if he wasn’t called in for the part.
Micah was the first person with Down syndrome to be on the cover of a Vogue magazine in 2017. He has appeared in three national network TV commercials. He’s been in a short film. He’s been on the cover of five magazines both in the US and abroad. His print campaign work is extensive, and he’s only getting started!!!
In the meantime, we take to social media to continue changing the way to world perceives people like our son, Micah!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel very lucky having battled the entertainment business myself for nearly twenty years. I think constant rejection and ridicule can really mess with a person, or you develop a thick skin. I’m lucky that I’ve taken to the latter… I feel like this life experience prepared me for all of the challenges we would face racing a son with a disability. It’s a constant fight to feel like we belong anywhere…let alone on the set of a campaign shoot! I’ve had producers tell me to my face they don’t use kids with Down syndrome “yet” (as if it were some revolutionary idea reserved for only the daft). Though I suppose…it truly was! Revolutionary, that is … not daft.
I have seen a lot more representation for kids like mine over the last decade, but what I find most interesting is showing up to work with Micah, for a client who knows full well that he has Down syndrome and realizing that (mostly) not a single person really knows *what* to do with him. I understand it’s going to be “checking a box” for a while, and it’ll be more real and natural at some point, but it is hard sometimes to have to constantly advocate for him and his needs. I really look forward to the day that there is someone on jobs or at places to mediate or translate for him. Like a person who is deaf needs a sign language interpreter, I think people with different sensory needs, those who process the information of our world differently… I think they need something like this too. I don’t hold it against anyone because you can’t know what you don’t know… It just would be nice if more people… knew.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Oops. I may have already answered this… I’ve been modeling and acting for twenty years (nearly). What sets me apart is that I’m not just any mom; I’m a cool mom! Just kidding…but maybe? No, I’m raising a beautiful son who has a visible disability, and I’ve made it my mission to advocate for inclusion in the media. So, I’ve taken what I’ve done for a career and found a way to use that exact platform to propel others. It’s so exciting because I think it’s actually working!!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Well, I really hope to see more diverse stories told. Ones that might not feel beautiful but are real. I want films with characters that have Down syndrome but that are not about Down syndrome. I hope people watch less TikTok and start going to the movies again. Although I don’t see influencers going anywhere…maybe they should? I’m sure streaming is going to continue to take over the world, and I’m okay with that so long as they premier movies at theaters still? Sometimes, at least… But honestly, I’ll take any of it as long as we just use humans and not A.I.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Coliena Rentmeester
Landon McMahon
Briana Hicks
