Model and actor Nyle DiMarco is certainly keeping busy despite the pandemic. The former ANTM contestant has recently announced not one, not two, but three major projects that put the spotlight on America’s deaf community.
Back in July, DiMarco made the announcement via his Twitter account that he shall be executive producing a series in partnership with Netflix. Entitled ‘Deaf U’, the coming-of-age documentary is one of many projects that the streaming service giant is releasing in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The series, which “follows a tight-knight group of deaf students at Gallaudet University, a renowned private college for the deaf and hard of hearing, in Washington D.C.,” is set to be released on October 8.
And if that is not enough, DiMarco is also working as an executive producer for a drama film that’s based on the real-life book by John B. Christiansen and Sharon N. Barnartt, “Deaf President Now! The 1988 Revolution at Gallaudet University.”
If you’re wondering, yes, it’s the same Gallaudet University in his Netflix series, and DiMarco also happens to be an alumnus.
For his film project, DiMarco is working with Concordia Productions to develop a narrative that’s based on the book. Concordia’s co-founder, Jonathan King, will executive produce along with DiMarco, while Patrick Callan will oversee development for the studio.
In a statement released to the press, King says, “When Nyle told me about the Deaf President Now movement and its impact on the course of civil rights for everyone, not just Deaf people, I knew we had to tell this story. It’s both empowering and viscerally cinematic to witness these protests led by Deaf students taking place in the nation’s capital in the middle of an election year.”
DiMarco adds, “Learning about the Deaf President Now movement as a young Deaf boy, I was in awe of how Deaf people like me were able to make such a powerful impact on the world. It was, and still is, such a monumental event in the history of Deaf people and the disability community, helping pave the way towards the Americans with Disabilities Act and more.”
“I’m beyond thrilled to bring this story to the big screen and I’m honored to do it with a world-class team that believes in telling stories in an authentic way—in this case, a Deaf story told by Deaf people.”