Historically, casting agents viewed visible craniofacial variations as disqualifying defects. Performers with skeletal conditions were either cast as caricatures or relegated to prosthetics-heavy character work. Matarazzo and Shapiro shattered that convention within a two-year window.
When the Duffer Brothers cast Matarazzo in 2015, they wrote his real-life cleidocranial dysplasia directly into Dustin Henderson’s narrative. His lisp, missing front teeth, and collarbone party trick became beloved aspects of a globally recognized protagonist. Matarazzo used that overnight celebrity status to partner with the non-profit organization CCD Smiles, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover astronomical orthodontic and maxillofacial surgical costs for families without adequate health insurance coverage.
Shapiro took an equally bold path. After giving a performance in Hereditary that critics hailed as one of the most chilling turns in modern horror, she refused to let Hollywood box her into grotesque archetypes. On TikTok, where her videos consistently garner hundreds of thousands of views, she talks frankly about self-worth, dysmorphia, makeup, and music. Instead of hiding the traits that caused cruel playground commentary, she highlights them, answering curious medical queries with biting humor and genuine warmth.
