An Endless List of Inspiring People (9/?)
Mat Fraser
"The physical pleasures in life are really important to me. I believe we should indulge in them as much as possible, as long as we're not hurting anybody and everyone's consensual, and we should all just have as much of a party as we can. 'Cause we might get knocked over by a bus tomorrow, and I want to live life. I want to live it to the fullest."
Mat Fraser was born in 1962 England and to his mother's dismay was born with phocomelia of the limbs (a disease that literally means "seal-like limbs" when translated). Most doctors and nurses of the time were completely unfamiliar with the condition at the time, and therefore Mat was under inspection for around three hours. His mother had assumed him dead as he was brought in tightly-swaddled. His mother was unafraid by his condition and immediately fell in love with him. Mat never let his condition hinder him and instead allowed himself to make good use of his arms. He learned to drum, quite well, and began performing with several different English rock bands such as Fear of Sex, The Grateful Dub, and Living in Texas throughout the 1980's and 90's. He would later go on to perform the opening for the Paralympics and the closing with the band Coldplay. He also began to study martial arts at the time, gaining immense knowledge in hapkido, taekwondo, and karate. Finally, after contributing in small television series, Mat had his big break in his role as Calchas in Helen of Troy. He also found time for stage shows, performing in many different (and sometimes strange, such as a live striptease) shows and even meeting his wife, Julia Atlas Munz along the way. These shows include Metrosexuality, Every Time You Look at Me, and his own show Thalidomide!! He was sporadically featured in movies and television, most popular recently for his role as Paul the Illustrated Seal on American Horror Story: Freak Show. Mat is also known for coining the phrase "Blacking up" in relation to disabled actors being passed up for roles as disabled characters in movies and television because people are afraid of them, such as the instance when many roles as black characters were played by white men due to racism. Mat lives out his life as a loving husband and dedicated actor.