Terry Crews' prevalent hearing impairment aided him in excelling at the craft of physical humor.
In a recent chat with CNN, actor Terry Crews chuckled and mentioned feeling like a Muppet or a cartoon character occasionally, especially for his new movie "The Killer's Game" hitting theaters this Friday. He shared that his acting skills were honed during this period, drawing inspiration from observing Muppets' head-shaking antics.
Crews is an accomplished individual, known for his roles in acting, authoring, sports, art, and even playing the flute. He's open about living with ** sensorineural hearing loss**, a type of hearing impairment that affects the inner ear or the auditory nerve, as per Johns Hopkins research.
"It's quite intriguing," Crews stated, "I wear hearing aids, yet I've had issues with hearing since way back. People often think I'm ignoring them, but if I'm not looking at you, I can't hear you. I read lips, observe people, and this practice has honed my acting skills," he added.
This challenge had been a part of his life since college, even before his acting career took off, as he learned to communicate despite his impairment.
"I've been doing this for a while... It's not always easy, especially when you have a disability," he explained.
Despite the challenges, Crews, known for his optimistic persona, has transformed his hearing impairment into an opportunity.
Thanks to his disability, Crews has excelled in using his body for comic relief, be it in his legendary Old Spice commercials or his role as the suave assassin Lovedahl in "The Killer's Game." He said he picked up this skill organically while focusing on lip-reading and observing people's expressions.
"Observing people helped me as an actor, studying facial expressions and people's feelings, and learning how to emote with your body rather than through words," he stated.
The iconic "White Chicks" car scene played a significant role in propelling Crews' Hollywood career, with notable projects like "Brooklyn 99," "Everybody Hates Chris," the upcoming "Everybody Still Hates Chris" animated series, and a long-time host of "America's Got Talent."
Reflecting on "White Chicks," Crews emphasized the movie's physical comedy, stating that every performance, not just his own, was "physical."
"The reason why the movie continues to be a favorite among many fans, even after 20 years, is because we learned to express ourselves through body language, making it understandable even for those who didn't grasp the dialogue," Crews concluded.
Crews' comedic skills in physical performances, showcased in films like "White Chicks" and "The Killer's Game," have become a staple of his entertainment career. His hearing impairment, while posing initial challenges, ultimately led him to excel in interpreting and conveying emotions through body language, enhancing his entertainment appeal.
