Jordan Hogg: In 15 years, Ive never come across another disabled director – The Guardian

Director Jordan Hogg, 39, was born in Scarborough and has cerebral palsy. He graduated in film studies from Hull University, trained through Channel 4s 4Talent scheme and won a Bafta breakthrough award in 2020. He has directed episodes of Shameless, Screw, Death in Paradise, Casualty, Coronation Street and Ackley Bridge. He is now the lead director on the new BBC One series Ralph & Katie, a spin-off from Peter Bowkers The A Word, and the first ever TV drama with two learning-disabled lead actors.

Whats Ralph & Katie about and how did you land the directing job?I was really jammy. I had a meeting with [creator] Peter Bowker to potentially direct The A Word episode with Ralph and Katies wedding but didnt get the gig. When I saw on Twitter that a spin-off about their first year of marriage had been green-lit, I emailed my agent and said it was my dream gig. Unbeknown to us, Peter had already remembered me and written it for me to direct.

Its the first time Ive helmed a whole series. My fingerprints are all over it, even the soundtrack. Im entirely unmusical but theres a scene in episode five where Ralphs marching along to the sound of me banging drums and blowing horns. John Williams will be shitting kittens.

Why was it such a dream project?Ive always wanted to make a show about people with disabilities where its about their everyday lives. Ralph and Katie face all the same obstacles that anyone does. If you have a disability, 99% of the time you dont even realise. Your disability isnt at the forefront of your mind, so it isnt in the drama either. Personally, I forget Im disabled until I approach some stairs or Ive walked too far and my knees kicking off. Sat here talking now, it doesnt even dawn on me.

Is the hope that viewers look beyond the labels?The idea is that you quickly forget theres disability in the show and it becomes about the characters. I want it to be judged as a relationship drama, not a disabled drama. Ralph and Katies disability is more of a thing for other people than them. Its how everybody else reacts to it and all the crossed wires. Ralphs mum, Louise, [played by Pooky Quesnel] panics because shes so protective. My mothers exactly the same. Whenever I have a medical issue, shes there like a whippet but certain things you dont want to share with your mum [laughs].

What adjustments were made for lead actors Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy, who both live with Downs syndrome?Nobodys even attempted this before, so we were adapting on the hoof. We had a wonderful woman called Jess Mabel Jones who was our creative coach effectively an interpreter for Leon and Sarah to help us find emotions. Shed come up with images and smells that they could associate with each storyline, to get in the right headspace. She used a rehearsal technique called mirroring, where shed perform a scene, then theyd do it back to her. At the end of each day, we did de-roleing to come out of character and back into the real world.

And people with disabilities were represented behind the camera tooFive out of six of the writing team have disabilities, plus obviously me. And we sent out an edict that there must be a disabled trainee in every department. We wanted to pioneer a new way of working and change the world.

Didnt you also set new standards for inclusivity and accessibility on set?Rather than sweeping changes, we spoke to everyone individually about their needs, whether they identified as having a disability or not. Much of it was minimal things. People asked for easy-read scripts or bigger print on call sheets. This lad Turbold, who was the best boy, wanted us to put boy in inverted commas in the credits, to stress its not just a male role. We trialled an app to leave anonymous feedback at the end of each day. The TV industry is weirdly set in its ways but we wanted to buck the trend. What we put in place wasnt expensive at all. All it takes is the desire to do it.

Do you hope those working practices become widely adopted?One hundred percent. The whole idea was to demonstrate whats possible and how other productions can be more welcoming. It benefits everybody. You get a much more productive shoot if individual needs are considered and everyones happy.

How far can Sarah and Leon go as actors?A long way. Sarah gets immersed in her roles and feels it deeply. And, hand on heart, Leon is one of the top three actors Ive ever worked with. His timing, instincts and listening qualities are off the chart. Hes always wanted to be a leading man and is so proud. Hes got loads of ideas for season two, mostly involving me being the bad guy and him running me over in various large vehicles (laughs).

How would you respond to potential criticism of the show as politically correct box-ticking?Well, Im a Yorkshireman, so theyd better not cross me. Just watch the show. Youll see its very politically incorrect at times. Its not woke or PC, its representative of society. Everyone has their story to tell, so why cant we tell ours?

Is the TV and film industry improving in terms of disability representation?Its getting there but too slowly. Its the most underrepresented demographic by far on both sides of the camera. In 15 years, Ive never come across another disabled director. An LA charity told me the other day that in high-end US drama, they know of five disabled writers and one disabled director. Thats in the whole of America. Weve done it on one show.

What were your childhood ambitions?Ive wanted to be a director since I was 12. My parents were getting a messy divorce and I vividly remember them having a row in the next room when Lawrence of Arabia came on telly. David Lean transported me to the desert for three hours. It was proper magic. I thought, if I can do this for one person someday, it would be amazing. But I was a kid with cerebral palsy from Scarborough and this life seemed so far away.

When I left school in 1999, there was no internet. I had no idea what opportunities were available. Instead, I did what any disabled kid does and became a fitness instructor! After doing that for four years, I went back to university to study film, learned all I could and worked my way up. Ive been massively fortunate to blag it this far.

Youve moved back to your home town of Scarborough. What drew you back?I settled in Manchester when I got my first job on Shameless. Me, my wife and son moved back to be by the seaside and near family. Its a nice place for Teddy, our little boy, to grow up. His Yorkshire accent is even heavier than mine. When I speak to Americans, I say: Remember that pub at the start of An American Werewolf in London? Its like that around here. But its home. I can open my patio doors and hear nothing but the sea.

How do you unwind when youre not working?I follow Newcastle United and love wrestling. I think its the purest form of storytelling. I listen to Johnny Cash, Thin Lizzy and the Eagles, and Im a massive Disney geek.

Whats the next project in the pipeline?Im directing a Channel 5 miniseries called Blind Spot. A four-part drama, kind of Rear Window meets The Conversation, which were filming in Budapest over Christmas. After that, who knows? I just got a US agent and the dream is to take our Ralph & Katie model across the pond.

If the government let you make one policy change tomorrow, what would it be?There should be a minimum quota of disabled people working in every industry. Because 18% of the population has a disability, 18% of your staff should. Disabled people always find easier ways to do things because we have to. Employers are missing out. Our lived experience and ingenuity is an untapped goldmine.

Ralph & Katie airs Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One. The entire series is available as an iPlayer box set

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Jordan Hogg: In 15 years, Ive never come across another disabled director - The Guardian