Meet the Cast of Apple TV’s ‘Being Heumann’ (With Photos)

The ‘Being Heumann’ cast brings together a large ensemble for a drama about disability rights activism. The story follows Judy Heumann as she leads more than a hundred disabled people in taking over the San Francisco Federal Building, which began a 28 day sit-in. Siân Heder directs the film, which opens in select theaters on November 6 and begins streaming globally on Apple TV on November 13.

The cast has been described as the largest assortment of disabled actors ever to appear in a single production. Beyond the performers highlighted below, the ensemble also includes Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher, Michael Patrick Thornton, Antwan Tolliver, Jon Beavers and Roberta Colindrez. Here is a closer look at the main actors and the real people they portray.

Ruth Madeley

Ruth Madeley stars as the late activist and author Judy Heumann. Her earlier credits include ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Years & Years’ and ‘Don’t Take My Baby.’ She earned a BAFTA nomination for ‘Don’t Take My Baby’ and is from near Manchester in the United Kingdom.

Madeley was born with spina bifida and has used a wheelchair for most of her life, much like Heumann. The film is her biggest role to date, and Heder saw her as the clear choice. Heder pointed to an earthy, blunt and grounded quality that reminded her of Heumann.

Madeley said it was important that Heumann not be turned into a saint, as disabled characters often are. She also said that being on a set where most of the cast was disabled healed part of her acting journey.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo plays Joseph Califano, and his past work includes ‘Poor Things,’ ‘Spotlight’ and the ‘Avengers’ films. Apple Original Films announced his casting alongside Madeley. Califano served as the secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

Califano initially refused to sign the regulations that activists wanted, and he eventually signed them after Heumann and her fellow activists traveled to Washington, D.C. The protesters had formed a tightly bound community and refused to leave until the government enforced section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. That places Ruffalo’s character at the center of the political pressure in the story.

Ruffalo recently shared a Forbes feature that praised Heder for not sanitizing the occupation shown in the film. The gesture suggests he is closely tied to the project beyond his on screen role.

Dylan O’Brien

Dylan O’Brien, known for ‘Teen Wolf’ and the ‘Maze Runner’ trilogy, plays Evan White. White is one of the few reporters covering the San Francisco protests at the heart of the story. O’Brien was added to the cast in June 2025, shortly after Ruffalo.

The character is a television journalist documenting the occupation, and his camera carries the activists’ demands beyond the building’s doors. In a story about organizing, he gives viewers an outside perspective on how the sit-in reached the public.

The role also gives a recognizable face to a cast that relies heavily on newer screen talent. O’Brien’s character works as a bridge between the protesters inside and the audience watching at home.

Daniel Durant

Daniel Durant plays Steve McCleeland and is well known for his work on both stage and screen. His credits include ‘Flash Before the Bang’ and ‘CODA.’ That connection is notable because Heder won the Academy Award for Best Picture with ‘CODA.’

Heder’s earlier film ‘CODA’ won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and ‘Being Heumann’ marks her second collaboration with Apple Original Films. Durant’s casting reflects continuity between the two projects.

Durant is among the performers named in the ensemble described as the largest group of disabled actors in a single production. Which performance in the ‘Being Heumann’ cast do you expect to stay with you the longest once the sit-in reaches its final days on Apple TV?