Kate Hood has known the thrill of success and the sound of silence. For two decades Sydney-born Hood was an “able-bodied actor, writer and director”, with a long-running role in the TV drama Prisoner. Then, in 2003, she was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia and became a wheelchair user. Suddenly, she says, “doors shut in my face”.
Hood, 65, slowly rebuilt her career, appearing in plays such as Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2023, where she became a member of the company’s advisory circle the previous year, reminding directors of their obligation to authenticity. Along the way she gained a reputation as a fierce and effective advocate for disabled actors.
