Steve Way Praises 'Furious' Creator For 'Healthy' Disabled Romance
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- Steve Way, born with muscular dystrophy, plays homebound Alden on Hulu's 'Furious,' whose late mother hired femme fatale Catherine (Lola Petticrew) as his home-healthcare aide — a setup Way said allowed him 'to play a different side of myself' compared to his 'funny, outspoken, empowered friend' role on 'Ramy.'
- Way told Yahoo Entertainment that he 'fell in love with the character right away' and credited Meriwether for 'capturing disability before I ever put any of my own touches on it,' adding he had never played a romantic role before.
- Creator Liz Meriwether and the writers room were 'very receptive to my notes and ideas,' Way said, describing table-read debriefs and mid-shoot discussions about physical logistics and improvisation freedom.
- Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew) is a sex trafficking survivor who begins killing wealthy men, drawing FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) into a conspiracy 'that goes straight to the top' — the thriller backdrop that frames Alden and Catherine's unconventional romance.
- Way used the platform to advocate for the disabled community, arguing roles written for disabled actors show 'people are making decisions directly according to us' and that 'we make up a quarter of the population.'
- Way closed with a direct industry ask: 'Give us more opportunities. Give us more jobs. Give us the awards we've earned,' adding that such representation 'I don't think would have happened 10 years ago.'
- Furious new episodes stream Mondays on Hulu, with the season finale debuting Aug. 31.
Why it matters: Way's advocacy arrives as Hollywood faces growing scrutiny over authentic disability representation — his specific call for roles 'written for a disabled actor' (not just inclusive casting) targets showrunners and awards voters. With disabled people making up roughly a quarter of the U.S. population per his stated figure, the push reframes accessibility as both a creative and hiring pipeline issue, not a charity case.
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