Beloved actor/comedian/disability advocate Andre H. Arruda, aka Andre the Anti-Giant, died last Saturday following a lifelong struggle with Morquio syndrome.
Over a year ago I met with Andre, who was lying in his rehab hospital bed recovering from major spinal surgery that had thankfully prevented him from becoming paralyzed. Andre could barely sit up but still wanted to discuss my doing a documentary on his life. Though facing a very challenging recovery period to learn to walk again and regain his independence, he quickly told me, Lets do this!
That was classic Andre. Nothing could stop this 3-foot-something dynamo.
A decade earlier I had got to know him fairly well when he performed in a Global TV series I produced called Out Of Bounds With John Oakley.
Andres dwarfism was caused by Morquio syndrome, which affects mobility, so we had to carry him up and down the stairs to our set.
It was only during the making of the documentary that I fully appreciated the huge toll Morquio had taken on his body, though he never mentioned it. By living to 33, Andre had already doubled his original life expectancy. To say the conditions effects on his bones, hearing and respiratory system were severe would be an understatement. But as his older brother Mark said, Andre was always like, No way. I dont have these disadvantages. I can do what you do!
After graduating from Humbers comedy program, Andre blazed a career as a stand-up comic across Canada and the U.S. He appeared in American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, The Russell Peters Christmas Special, Warehouse 13, Baroness Von Sketch, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Hank And Mike, Happenchance, The Jon Dore Show, The Ron James Show, VICEs Standing Up With Andre Arruda and An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder, among many others.
As Andre said, I became a disability advocate by accident, by living my life.
In 2014, he had a hidden camera follow him on a typical night out on his mobility scooter in downtown Toronto. The disability catcalling directed at him was appalling everything from, Mini Me, can you tie my shoes, man? to Hey, leprechaun!
The video went viral, and soon Andre was appearing in news reports to give his brutally honest commentary on topics like the lack of accessible ttc stops and the CNEs threat to stop giving discounts to the disabled.
He loved to call bullshit on things. He frequently said, You have to keep fighting, you cant give up. If people give up and stay behind closed doors, scared of the world, you lose.
Andre stayed keenly focused on his entertainment career, using the audiences preconceived judgment of him as his stand-up comedys secret weapon.
I know what youre all thinking, hed say in his act. And the answer is: Yes. I am Portuguese. And his classic, So, uh, what do I call you? Dwarf? Little person? Midget? Human being!
Then came Andres next biggest challenge. Canadas top spinal neurosurgeon took six months to decide whether the difficult operation could be performed on him.
Once again, Andre transformed adversity into triumph by creating a solo show called Andres Last Time Standing… Maybe?
I was lucky enough to see one of the two sold-out shows at the Supermarket. It was a spellbinding, powerhouse performance in which Andre made us roar with laughter while daring to show his vulnerable side.
He shared stories about his fearless childhood, about getting laid and smoking weed for the first time, about his fears surrounding the upcoming surgery.
Whether I end up paralyzed or not, I will always be an entertainer, he said. I will always be making jokes, I will always be an actor, I will be singing. And I will always be me. Thank you for all the love and support.
That night, I knew his story had to be told in documentary form.
Over the year-long shoot, it was humbling to document Andres struggle to get stronger every day so he could finally return to the stage.
No matter who I interviewed friends, family, fellow comics, teachers, doctors they all marvelled at his inspirational drive and tenacity to find comedy even in the darkest places.
As Andre says in the doc, Lets make fun of every horrible thing thats going on with myself or the world or whatever.
In November we screened the 16-minute documentary short, Andre The Anti-Giant, for a packed cast-and-crew party at the Rivoli. Andre was in the best shape I had seen him since surgery and wowed the audience with his legendary Joe Cockerish rendition of With A Little Help From My Friends (see below).
The short now hits the festival circuit and will premiere later this year on Bell Medias BravoFACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) website.
As I turned my attention to getting funding for a feature version of the doc, he caught pneumonia over the holidays and passed away this past Saturday.
His death triggered shock and grief throughout the comedy community and beyond. It still seems surreal that he lost this battle after bouncing back so many times from adversity. My life was just one of the many made better by knowing him.
Andre was a funny, kind, socially conscious, righteous, courageous human being. He was a testament to living life to the fullest despite the challenges thrown our way. A true comedy giant has left the stage.
Im sure hes with Robin Williams right now, heckling us for taking his death so damn seriously.
Kim Saltarski is a writer/director/producer and founder of Amazing Aint It Productions Inc.
