The actor tells the 'BBC' that many actors with dwarfism feel they are being 'pushed out' of an industry they love.
Hugh Grant's casting in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel, Wonka, is being criticized by actors with dwarfism.
In the trailer for the film, which was released earlier this month, Grant is seen as an Oompa Loompa, the name Roald Dahl used for the group of diminutive factory workers in his 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
While it's not clear if any actors with dwarfism are featured in the upcoming film, Oompa Loompas were played by actors with dwarfism in two previous films based on Roald Dahl's book.
In a new interview from the BBC, George Coppen, an actor with dwarfism, said he believes the role should have been given to an actor with the condition.
"A lot of actors [with dwarfism] feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love," Coppen told the outlet.
He continued, "A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps, but we aren't getting offered those roles. One door is being closed but they have forgotten to open the next one."
Coppen, who is best known for his role as Sweet Cupid in the fantasy film The School for Good and Evil, had something to say about Grant's exaggerated appearance in the trailer, telling the outlet, "They've enlarged his head so his head looks bigger. [I thought] what the hell have you done to him?"
ET has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.
Jackass actor, Wee Man also had something to say about the casting, calling it "interesting."
Wee Man, whose real name is, Jason Acuña, spoke to celebrity news account Movie Maniacs, where he shared his reaction to the trailer.
@moviemaniacs Jackass star Wee Man criticizes the casting of Hugh Grant in Wonka
♬ original sound - Movie Maniacs
"Hugh Grant is now playing an Oompa Loompa? So, I guess Hugh Grant, you're now identifying as a little person?" Acuña said in the video interview shared to TikTok earlier this month. "Huh, interesting."
It's not just in Wonka that Acuña and Coppen are seeing these issues. In another clip from the interview shared by Movie Maniacs, Acuña also weighed in on Disney appearing to ditch the seven dwarfs in its upcoming live-action remake of "Snow White."
"You're replacing jobs that people could have as little people. 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' Acuña added. "It's for dwarfs. Why are you hiring 'Snow White and the seven average people?'"
If Disney wants to "make it right," Acuña said it should "re-do" the movie and cast members of the dwarfism community. "Make it better Disney."
That sentiment was echoed by Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage, last year, who called the casting "backward."
Disney responded in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying it was consulting "with members of the dwarfism community" during pre-production.
"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community," Disney said. "We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."
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