Dear Editor 

It is an exciting time for movie goers as the latest Bond film has finally reached cinemas. But the release of No Time To Die also means the return of seeing scars, burns or marks as shorthand for villainy on the big screen.  

The daily reality of living with a disfigurement or visible difference is contending with staring and comments.  Sadly, for too many, experiencing abuse and hate is also a regular occurrence.  

Research has found that only one in five people with a visible difference has seen a character who looks like them cast as the hero in a film or on TV. This combination of the disfigured villain trope - and the lack of representation in any other roles - fuels and legitimises the trolling and harassment of people with visible differences. 

Changing Faces campaigners have written an open letter to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, calling for the next instalment to include a positive character with a visible difference. 

Catherine Deakin, Deputy Chief Executive 

Changing Faces