James Caverly

James "Joey" Caverly (born June 16, 1989) is an American actor who has been deaf since birth.

Personal life Caverly was born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. He has been deaf since birth his parents are hearing. a mainstream school in the Bloomfield Hills School District with a program for deaf and hard of hearing students.

Portrayals of deafness in media Caverly has spoken publicly about the lack of accurate representation of deafness in film and television, as well as on stage. In 2022, he discussed how, in many media portrayals, the deaf person is "the problem, they're the issue in the story that needs to be fixed," which is not "the lens that the world needs to see." When asked about the episode, Caverly said, "Framing the entire episode in the perspective of a Deaf person is a subversive act" because "t forces the audience to listen closely, but with their eyes instead of ears." In crafting the episode, Caverly worked closely with director Cherien Dabis to more accurately represent his experiences as a deaf person, including camera angles.

After working on Only Murders in the Building, Caverly said that he is ready to explore more roles that do not fixate on the character's hearing loss, especially when the character's deafness does not elevate the plot. He asserts that "true inclusion would mean more disabled people in the writing room, behind the camera, and on the production team."

Also in 2022, Caverly was thought to be a possible contender for an Emmy Award nomination for his role on Only Murders in the Building, which would have made him the first deaf actor to be nominated; he did not receive a nomination.

Filmography

"Be My Better Half"

"Who Is Tim Kono?" "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?" "The Boy from 6B" "Fan Fiction" "Here's Looking at You" "Flipping the Pieces" ”CoBro” "LESTR"

Stage performances