Home / Arts and Entertainment / Linney & Ifans Tackle Parkinson's with Raw Honesty
Linney & Ifans Tackle Parkinson's with Raw Honesty
2 Nov
Summary
- Actors explored Parkinson's through dance therapy and workshops.
- Film highlights humor and devastation of Parkinson's disease.
- Onwards and Sideways honors those living with the condition.
Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney star in "Onwards and Sideways," a BBC film exploring Parkinson's disease through the story of a couple grappling with the condition. The film, written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, who has Parkinson's, balances devastating subject matter with humor.
Linney and Ifans prepared for their roles by participating in dance classes, including programs like Dance for PD, and working with "Neuro Heroes" who provide physical therapy for Parkinson's patients. This helped them understand the physical "dialect" of the disease.
The actors aimed for an accurate and respectful portrayal, acknowledging the responsibility to represent the 166,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson's. Mayhew-Archer intentionally infused humor, drawing from his own diagnosis experience, to make the challenging topic more accessible.
"Onwards and Sideways" is scheduled for UK cinema release on November 6, 2026, and will be available on BBC One and iPlayer later this year. The film has profoundly impacted the actors, with Linney stating it "rearranged my cellular structure."
