Actor playing adopted girl accused of being 22-year-old makes heartbreaking admission about own life
The actor who will portray Natalia Grace in a new Disney Plus series has made a heartbreaking admission about her own life.
Imogen Faith Reid, 27, has made her debut in Good American Family, which dropped on Disney Plus and Hulu on March 19.
If you haven't heard, the show is based on a tragic true story, which saw American couple Kristine and Michael Barnett adopt a young Ukrainian girl when she was just seven years old in 2010.
However, in a baffling turn of events, they later claimed that she was an 'adult sociopath masquerading as a child' with plans to murder them.
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A previous documentary titled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks finally put those rumours to bed, as it was confirmed that she was actually seven in 2010.
The new series will study the shocking story from Natalia's point of view, with Imogen speaking recently about the challenges of portraying a child who is accused of being 22.
Like Natalia, Imogen has dwarfism, although she actually has a different form of the medical condition known as Russell-Silver Syndrome.
The 4 foot 3 actor has now spoken about her own struggles with the condition, in an interview with Pop Sugar.
She said: "This type of dwarfism makes me in proportion. My family explain it to people as me being similar to Thumbelina, as she is just a tiny character.
"People don't often know that I am a little person and just think I am a child. I think this is because of the lack of information there is out there about dwarfism and that there are different types that people just don't know about."
Sadly, as is often the case, a lack of education and understanding can lead to discrimination and cruelty, which is something Imogen has had to deal with all her life.
She added: "I get stared at a lot and made fun of when walking on the street," she says. "It's often by teenagers, girls and boys.
"Sometimes they can work out that I am a little person and still make fun of my appearance. Depending on what mood I'm in that day, it can really affect me or I won't care."
Imogen also hopes the show can lead to more honest conversations about disability, with the actor suggesting that she is more than happy to speak with people to help educate them.
She concluded: "I'm a very open person and would love to help you understand. Maybe you'll walk away knowing a different perspective in life."
Natalia Grace and her once adoptive father reunited in 2023 for the old series, with the latter breaking down in tears during an interview.
Topics: Disney Plus, Natalia Grace, True Crime
James Moorhouse