Adam Pearson, who starred alongside Sebastian Stan in A24’s comic noir A Different Man, is getting back in the spotlight to play Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, in Jack Huston‘s upcoming film about the kind-hearted man behind the inspiring tale of beauty only being skin deep. Huston’s The Elephant Man is an adaptation of Bernard Pomerance’s Tony-winning play, with Bernard’s son, Moby Pomerance, penning the screenplay.
Pomerance’s play focuses on the diaries of Dr. Frederick Treves, Merrick’s physician, and his time practicing at the London Hospital. Pomerance’s play became a crowd favorite after its first run in the West End in London in 1977. The play eventually moved to an Off-Broadway production, around the same time David Lynch directed his version of The Elephant Man, though Lynch’s film did not adapt Pomerance’s play. History shows that producers of the Pomerance play did not look fondly at Lynch’s story. They sued the film’s producer, Brooksfilm, over its title, adding controversy to the classic feature.
Huston’s adaptation marks the first time a disabled actor will portray Joseph Merrick on screen. Adam Pearson says he feels strong ties to Merrick and grows to love and respect him as he becomes more familiar with his life. “Joseph Merrick is a man I have a long and complex relationship with. From having his name used as a term of derision to learning about the man himself in documentaries I’ve presented. It’s been a cathartic journey of growing to love and respect a man who I as a child I avoided even thinking about. Now as a disability advocate and actor, I can think of no greater honour (yet heavy responsibility) than to tell the true story of Joseph Carey Merrick.”
Eve Pomerance, Bernard Pomerance’s daughter, spoke to Variety about her father’s approach to telling Merrick’s story, saying, “My father never wanted prosthetics to be used on stage as he felt it took the audience out of the story. He wanted them to empathise fully with Merrick, to see themselves in him. Lines like, ‘I am not an animal, I am a man’ which have become synonymous with the play, will take on greater meaning with Adam telling this story and enable the audience to finally stand in Merrick’s shoes. My father would be beyond excited to see his dream becoming a reality.”
Joseph Merrick is a film project that has the potential to elicit tears and open people’s hearts and minds. We can’t wait to see it.
