Snow White: Little people feel ‘erased’ by Disney’s use of CGI instead of real actors
Disney’s use of CGI to create the seven miners at the heart of the live-action remake of Snow White And The Seven Dwarves has left little people feeling “disregarded” and “erased,” according to a disability activist.
Comedian, model and content creator Fats Timbo, who has spoken about being bullied as a child, told Sky News she believes Disney has missed a golden opportunity to educate children in what is likely to be their first encounter with someone with dwarfism.
Fats Timbo is a comedian, model, author and content creator
Timbo, who has dedicated her activism to raising the profile of people of short stature, has achondroplasia, a genetic condition that inhibits growth and affects around one in 27,500 people.
Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage, who has the same condition, previously criticised the film, telling the WTF With Marc Maron podcast: “It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that f***ing backward story about seven dwarves living in a cave together?”
Following the remarks, Disney said it consulted with members of the dwarfism community to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film”.
It was the 1937 classic that established Disney’s name as an industry leader. But the remake has been beset by controversy.
Early on it was labelled “woke” due to its casting of Latina actress Rachel Zegler, who is of Colombian-Polish descent, in the lead role.
Zegler also faced backlash after suggesting the early version of the film had content that was unsuitable for the 21st century – namely the fact the prince “literally stalks” Snow White.
There was then speculation as to whether Zegler and Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the evil queen, got on as they have previously expressed very different views over the Gaza war.
Pic: Disney
Gal Gadot as the evil queen. Pic: Disney
Not dwarves but ‘animated magical creatures’
Now the erasing of the dwarves – first from the title, then from the film, at least in human form – is proving highly divisive.
Disney used computer-generated images (CGI) to create what they called “animated magical creatures” rather than using little people in the roles.
Timbo tells Sky News: “Our representation is already small as it is – no pun intended. It’s already limited. To erase that and use CGI, like we’re mythical creatures or people that could be made on computers, it’s disregarding us in general.”
She goes on: “Let’s say kids have never seen somebody that has my condition and they’ve seen a CGI version of me. It’s going to be a bit baffling to children. It could have been a real educational piece to have actors that have the condition and give them the role they deserve.”
Timbo says lack of visibility for small people has real-world consequences.
“I used to get made fun of all the time. [Kids would be] saying ‘You’re one of the dwarves from Snow White,’ that kind of thing. I think now when somebody sees a little person, they’re not going to believe it’s real. They’re going to see that CGI version on Snow White instead of seeing a real little person that has real character with real depth.”
Timothee Chalamet and Hugh Grant in Wonka. Pic: Warner Bros Pictures
‘Snow White And The Little People’
Timbo says other children’s films were also used to taunt her, including Charlie And The Chocolate Factory: “The Oompa Loompas – I got called that all the time.”
In the Snow White remake, Martin Klebba voices CGI Grumpy, while George Appleby has a physical character, playing one of a band of seven robbers – both actors are little people.
But the decision not to use people of small stature to play all seven dwarves on-screen has left many scratching their heads.
And it’s not the first time small people have been edited out of movies.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’s 2023 re-make, Wonka, used special effects to shrink down Hugh Grant to play an Oompa Loompa, while 2012 film Snow White And The Huntsman replaced its dwarves with able-bodied actors Ian McShane, Ray Winstone and Nick Frost.
Not a fan of the term dwarfism, Timbo says she thinks Disney would also have done well to tackle the title differently, too: “If they had put a different spin on it where it was Snow White And The Little People, that would have sounded great.”
She says that in an attempt to avoid controversy, Disney chose “the safe option” of simply cutting the physical roles completely, and letting CGI fill the void.
It’s a decision Timbo calls “upsetting,” due to the fact it “reaffirms the negative stereotypes of little people not being actual people”.
Pic: Disney
Disney’s poisoned apple
Timbo’s 2023 book Main Character Energy, about living fearlessly in the face of adversity, seems like it could be a good read for the bosses of Disney right now, as they face growing criticism over the decision.
With a muted release (no Leicester Square premiere, and a limited LA debut) it’s been a less-than-fairytale opening for a movie which had been intended to rival the success of 2017 remake Beauty And The Beast. Many might say it has turned into something of a poisoned apple.
Proving controversial and polarising, the response couldn’t be more removed from Disney’s brand proposition if it tried. Early reviews are so far mixed.
Timbo says she will give the movie a shot: “I want to see if it lives up to the hype or the bad press.”
Box office figures and audience ratings will soon deliver a verdict, and Timbo remains generous despite reservations: “I want it to surprise me, I want to enjoy it… I hope it does do well. But obviously, I think Disney could have done things a bit differently.”
Sky News has contacted Disney for comment.
Snow White is in cinemas now.
Entertainment
Scottish artist Nnena Kalu wins Turner Prize 2025 for hanging Barcelona sculptures and Liverpool exhibition
Scottish artist Nnena Kalu has won the 2025 Turner Prize with two exhibitions, including a series of brightly coloured sculptures.
The Glaswegian, 59, took home the visual arts prize along with £25,000 at an award ceremony on Tuesday in Bradford, this year’s UK City of Culture.
As reported by The Guardian, she is the first artist with a learning disability to win the award.
Nnena Kalu, from Glasgow, is the winner of this year’s Turner Prize. Pic: Nnena Kalu/ActionSpace/PA
Along with Hanging Sculpture 1-10, which European art exhibitors Manifesta commissioned her to create at a disused power station in Barcelona, Ms Kalu won for her presentation in Conversations, a group exhibition at Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
For the sculpture series, the artist created the vividly-coloured works from repeated lines and wrappings of different materials, making nest or cocoon-like forms.
Hanging Sculpture 1 – 10 by Nnena Kalu. Pic: PA
The installation consisted of 10 large brightly-coloured sculptures that hung from grey concrete pillars of the industrial site.
Meanwhile, for Conversations, Kalu presented work in pen, graphite and chalk pen on two pieces of paper.
Conversations by Nnena Kalu. Pic: PA
The jury, which was chaired by Alex Farquharson, the director of Tate Britain, commended Kalu’s “bold and compelling work” and praised the “lively translation of expressive gesture” in the abstract sculpture and drawing.
The panel also acknowledged her scale, composition and colour, highlighting “the powerful presence” her works have.
Nnena Kalu’s nominated Turner Prize works. Pic: PA
Kalu is also a resident artist at ActionSpace’s studio, which supports learning disabled artists across London at Studio Voltaire, and beat out fellow shortlisted artists Rene Matic, Mohammed Sami and Zadie Xa.
The works by the four artists are currently available to see at a free exhibition at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Art Gallery until 22 February.
Jonathan Orrell views work by Nnena Kalu for the Turner Prize. Pic: PA
Named after British painter JMW Turner, this year’s prize marked the 250th anniversary of his birth.
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Previous winners include artist Damien Hirst in 1995 and filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen in 1999, while last year’s winner, Jasleen Kaur, picked up the prize for Alter Altar – which covered a red sports car with a giant ornamental doily mat.
Entertainment
Rappers Bob Vylan sue Irish broadcaster RTE over claim lead singer led ‘antisemitic chants’ at Glastonbury gig
Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan are suing Irish national broadcaster RTE for defamation, claiming it misrepresented chants led by the band when they played this year’s Glastonbury festival.
The group, which performed at Dublin’s Vicar Street last month, claim they were defamed in a report by RTE News that said the lead singer led antisemitic chants when they played the Somerset festival in June.
During their performance, singer Pascal Robinson-Foster, whose stage name is Bobby Vylan, led a chant of “death, death, to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]”.
File pic: PA
Pic: PA
It provoked widespread criticism of the artist, including from Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, and the BBC, which live streamed their show.
Phoenix Law launched legal action on behalf of Robinson-Foster and drummer Wade Laurence George at Ireland’s High Court on Monday, according to court records.
The firm said: “The proceedings arise from a broadcast aired by RTE News following Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury Festival on 28 June 2025.
“During this broadcast, comments were made alleging that the lead singer of Bob Vylan led antisemitic chants. These allegations are categorically denied by our clients and are entirely untrue.”
Phoenix Law said Bob Vylan had made statements expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and criticising military actions by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces).
His comments did not target Jewish people or express hatred towards any group, the firm said, suggesting they were “politically charged but not antisemitic in nature”.
Solicitor Darragh Mackin said the pair “are no stranger to utilising their freedom of expression to speak out against the genocide in Gaza“.
Mr Mackin said there was “a fundamental distinction between speaking critically about the role of the Israeli state forces, and being antisemitic”.
“The former is speech within the confines of political expression, whereas the latter is a form of hatred directed towards Jewish people,” he added.
Read more on Sky News:
Who are Bob Vylan?
The BBC apologised, including to the Jewish community, and said it regretted not pulling the live stream of the set and promised not to live stream “high-risk” acts in future.
It partially upheld complaints made over the broadcast, accepting the live stream broke the corporation’s editorial guidelines.
Ofcom’s chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, said the BBC needed to “get a grip quicker” on handling such controversies and complete its internal reports and investigations sooner.
Last month, the Metropolitan Police said detectives would take no further action over similar alleged chants made at a Bob Vylan gig in London in May.
The individual was not arrested but an investigation was ongoing, the Met said.
Avon and Somerset Police said a man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview in relation to the band’s Glastonbury performance. Enquiries are ongoing, the force said on Tuesday.
The US condemned the act’s “hateful tirade”, revoking their visas, while several festivals cancelled their upcoming appearances.
Speaking to Louis Theroux in October, Bobby Vylan said he had no regrets about the chants and would do it again “tomorrow”.
Sky News has contacted RTE for comment.
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