Mark Ruffalo Joins Apple Disability Rights Drama Being Heumann

Actor Mark Ruffalo has been cast as Joseph Califano in the upcoming Apple Original Films feature "Being Heumann," directed by Sian Heder, known for her Oscar-winning film "CODA." The film is an adaptation of disability rights activist Judy Heumann's bestselling memoir and centers on her leadership of a 28-day sit-in at the San Francisco Federal Building in 1977, which demanded enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure accessibility in federal spaces. Ruth Madeley stars as Heumann, who used a wheelchair after contracting polio as a child and was a pioneering advocate for disability rights, including successfully suing the New York Board of Education to become the first wheelchair user to teach in NYC public schools. Heder co-wrote the script with Rebekah Taussig and will produce the film alongside David Permut and Kevin Walsh, with Heumann and other collaborators serving as executive producers. The film highlights Heumann's enduring impact on disability rights, including her role in co-founding Disabled in Action and influencing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ruffalo, a four-time Oscar nominee, has recently appeared in films such as "Poor Things" and has upcoming projects including "Crime 101."