‘Little Tin Man’ story personal for actor

As a full-time actor standing 4 feet 3 inches tall, Aaron Beelner often finds leading roles out of reach, literally.

Beelner, who was born with a form of dwarfism, regularly battles typecasting with the desire to rise above simply being seen as a leprechaun or one of Santa’s little helpers. With the release of “The Little Tin Man,” he says he hopes that’s about to change.

In a case of art imitating life, Beelner plays Herman, a short-statured thespian fighting to break out of stereotypes. When he hears director Martin Scorsese is helming a remake of “The Wizard of Oz,” Herman attempts to bypass the Munchkin roles and shoot for the part of the Tin Man.

“It’s always an uphill battle,” Beelner said of his real-world struggle. “It’s about begging for the opportunity to be able to play something that may not ask for a little person, but might add a different angle or perspective to the character in some way.”

The idea for the film began percolating in 2004 while Beelner was earning his Master’s in Performance at the University of Georgia. The actor was approached by Matthew Perkins and Dugan Bridges, a pair of undergrads interested in penning a screenplay with a little person as the lead. Using elements of Beelner’s own one-man stage show, the duo began writing.

“We were really intrigued by his story, because he was the first little person we had ever met,” Perkins said. “We wanted to write a script where he could be respected and taken seriously.”

The story evolved through the years with Perkins and Bridges finishing the script in 2009. In an attempt to help pitch the idea, they shot a short film version in 2010 with Beelner in the lead. Still lacking serious bites, they decided to fund a feature film through the crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter in 2012.

“That’s when we raised $100,000 in 30 days,” Beelner said.

Encouraging for sure, but looming challenges were still ahead. The production team was faced with a tight 18-day shooting schedule in New York City on a shoestring budget. However, an enthusiastic group of co-stars gave the indie film the shot in the arm it was looking for.

Veteran film and TV character actor Jeff Hiller signed on to play Herman’s half-brother, Gregg. And Kay Cannon, who wrote the script for “Pitch Perfect” and its upcoming sequel, agreed to play Miller, Herman’s love interest. With both Hiller and Cannon being former members of acclaimed improv troupe Upright Citizens Brigade, it opened the floodgates for other fellow alums to join the cast.

“They are all great improv actors,” Beelner said, “and it’s amazing how much improvisation is in the final product. At least 40 percent of the film is based on improv. And improvisation was one of Kay Cannon’s stipulations she insisted upon when she signed to be in the film.”

According to Beelner, the end result helped morph his goal of creating a profitable comedic drama into something else entirely.

“You always want your film to get attention,” Beelner said, “but it’s really become more about advocacy for people with disabilities. … This film educates, entertains and informs all at once and becomes an advocate for those people who deserve a chance.”

It looks like Beelner and company will be getting a combination of both. Although “The Little Tin Man” has made its rounds on the festival circuit, including snagging the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2013 Napa Valley Film Festival, it’s one of the featured selections for the Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival taking place in October in Austin, Texas. The film will be available on video on demand beginning in September.

“It’s such a universal theme,” Perkins said. “Everyone has felt rejected or overlooked at some point in their lives. … Little people deserve respect like everyone else. It’s crazy to me that people still use the word midget today. Insert any other slur about any other minority, and society would be up in arms.”

Although the film certainly focuses on the struggles little people face, Beelner says the underlying theme goes way beyond.

“There’s a line in the film that really takes precedent,” Beelner said. “It is: ‘If you have one regret, please don’t let it be that you never tried.’ And that’s what the movie is all about.”