Little People show their acting talents (A Mom for Christmas)
Dan Okenfuss is used to being stared at. He’s 4 feet 6 inches tall and is often the object of attention.
But last month Okenfuss sought the spotlight when he auditioned and won a speaking part in the made-for-TV movie, A Mom For Christmas. The story stars Olivia Newton-John. Okenfuss, a 21-year-old Finney-town resident, played an elf.
“I didn’t have a big part but I got my air time,” said Okenfuss, who has about five lines. “It was really neat. I’d like to do it again.”
The movie, shot entirely in Cincinnati in early November, was Okenfuss’ first professional acting experience, although he had performed in several plays while attending St. Xavier High School. The University of Dayton junior said he was attracted to the film by its original story.
“There are five of us elves and we come to life to help Olivia become this little girl’s mom,” he said. “We also put St. Nick back together after he gets hit by a car. It’s a really cute story.”
Although Okenfuss was not crazy about his costume - a red and green court jester’s suit, curled toe boots, Mr. Spock ears and a white fright wig - he said many of the people who watched the filming liked the outfit.
“Parents would come up and ask if they could take pictures of us with their kids,” he said. Okenfuss said this was one time in his life when he didn’t mind all the attention.
“It happens to us every day of our lives,” he said. “But this time it was different. We were having fun and not being ridiculed.”
Okenfuss and four other little people auditioned for the movie after their group, the Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter, Little People of America (LPA), was contacted by the movie’s production company.
“At first we were wary because we wanted to be sure they were not derogatory parts,” said Okenfuss, who is secretary of the group. “But once we saw the script we saw we were portrayed in a positive manner. It’s mainly a fantasy role that appeals to children.”
Fellow actor Joe Heideman of North College Hill agreed. “I didn’t feel it was a bad role at all,” said the 4-foot-2-inch retiree. My theory is if God made us this way we should have fun with it. This role was making fun with us, not at us.”
Another elf, Martha Undercoffer, who formerly worked for the Billy Barty Foundation in Los Angeles, said their acting in the movie is not a special case.
“When a little person acts as an elf it is just like an actor in costume,” she said. “It is no different than an average size actor playing an average size part in costume.”
Okenfuss, who made $1,300 for two days work, said he would like to do other movies, but only if they are positive roles.
“For example, I would never take anything where we’re used as human projectiles,” he said. “That would be demeaning and that’s just something I would not put up with.”
Okenfuss has been made fun of before. He was born with achondroplasia, a genetic condition in which the body size is disproportionate to the head. His current height is as tall as he will ever get.
“It used to be a challenge in grade school and it may become a challenge again when I enter the work force,” he said. “But right now it’s no problem because, in college, students are more used to seeing differences in people.”
Okenfuss’ mother and father became involved in LPA as parents parents of a little person when Okenfuss was 3 years old. He said the group helps him deal with many of the problems encountered by little people. “There’s the annual conventions, dances and meetings,” he said. “It’s an escape from the average-height world, as we call it.”
Okenfuss hopes his double major in international studies and German will take him into government and foreign relations or international business. After the holidays it will take him to Germany to study for six months at the University of Heidelberg.
But before he leaves, Okenfuss will be watching A Mom for Christmas at 9 p.m. Monday Monday on NBC (Channel 5). Okenfuss said he looks forward to watching his new friend Olivia Newton-John. “She was very interesting to meet,” he said. “We weren’t like the low life to her. She talked and joked with us. She was really easy to work with.”
By Stephania H. Davis, The Cincinnati Enquirer