If you visit London’s Paddington Bear Immersive Experience, look out for Charlotte – as a Station Master at Paddington Station, or Explorer making marmalade in Peru.
Actor, Charlotte, 25, was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate.
She smiled: “I’ve wanted to be an actor my whole life – I just love telling stories. I loved the dressing up section in primary school, and joined all the drama clubs.
“Having that outlet helped me feel more confident in myself, especially growing up with a cleft.
“Performing on stage probably started the ‘fake it till you make it’ confidence, and with time that developed into the real thing.”
Charlotte said she wants to be successful for “who I am”, and raise awareness of cleft and its related conditions through her acting.
“When I was 17, I was offered jaw surgery ‘to help me become an actor’ and make my face more ‘normal’ and ‘perfect’. I thought ‘Oh, so I’m not going to get hired if I look like this?’
“And what message is that saying? It says people who are different aren’t as beautiful – as what?
“For me, personally, I didn’t want such a big surgery after I’d had so many other operations, especially one that had no health benefits, could change my speaking and singing voice, and was purely aesthetic.
If I’m going to be successful, I want it to be as who I am. I’m not my teeth. I want to be hired for my talent and energy.
“So, I decided, if I’m going to be successful, I want it to be as who I am. I’m not my teeth. I want to be hired for my talent and energy.”
Charlotte was a principal performer in a well-known Christmas show last year, with her hearing aids purposefully on show. She wears two bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs), similar to cochlear implants.
“My character was quirky, neuro-diverse, stood for ‘being curious, kind and unique’, and proved that it’s all right to be a little bit different and find your own way of doing things.
“People mentioned how wonderful it was to see hearing aids on a performer. I remember meeting lots of kids with hearing aids too, and it felt lovely to represent them.”
Charlotte studied musical theatre at drama school, followed by a master’s degree in Theatre for Young Audiences. Prior to Paddington, she’s performed in primary schools, pantomimes, at Lapland UK, The Polar Express: Train Ride, and CBeebies Rainbow Experience.
“I think, out of all the theatre disciplines, children’s theatre is the most diverse and inclusive, which is great because hopefully it’s promoting it to the new generation.”
Charlotte said she’d like to see more disability representation and diversity in the arts, especially in films and TV shows.
“It frustrates me when things are based on how you look, not on your voice, energy or drive.
“I’ve always had insecurities about my looks, and even now I sometimes worry about my under bite, and my uneven lip and nose.
“For a lot of people, especially young people, aesthetics are everything. It can feel like everything you do is based on how you look.
I really want to tell people they are beautiful the way they are, with their cleft, with their face.
Lavinia Rose Photography
“I really want to tell people they are beautiful the way they are, with their cleft, with their face – and they shouldn’t have to prove that. Just try to love yourself as much as you can.”
Charlotte said she’s recently been involved with CLAPA Live Q&As, and is looking to help raise awareness on her own social media platforms.
“When I tell people I have a cleft they often don’t understand what it is until I show them my baby photos. They don’t realise how much having a cleft impacts your life.
“I struggled with speech and hearing challenges, and suffered with a lot of anxiety growing up. I think being in hospital quite a bit is stressful and definitely triggers your fight and flight, making you always kind of on edge.
“I find talking it all out, and trying not to bottle it up really helps. And running, I love running.
“And, of course, performing and telling stories always brings my confidence back. Helping children find the colours of the rainbow, guiding them onto a magical train, or making marmalade in Peru are all such wonderful, happy places to be.”
When I tell people I have a cleft they often don’t understand what it is until I show them my baby photos. They don’t realise how much having a cleft impacts your life.