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Out of My Mind is officially out on Disney+, finally bringing to life the beloved book by Sharon M. Draper.
The film tells the story of Melody Brooks, a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy, portrayed by the talented newcomer Phoebe-Rae Taylor. Though Melody is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, she has a brilliant mind and a quick wit that often go unnoticed — until a compassionate teacher recognizes her potential.
In an exclusive interview with J-14, Phoebe-Rae opened up about the pressure of bringing such an iconic story to the screen.
“I was so nervous because it is such, such an important story and such an important message,” Phoebe-Rae shared. “I don’t wanna let anyone down or expectations down, and I’m so glad because I don’t think that has happened. I think we have made something really special and important.”
This heartfelt film also stars Rosemarie DeWitt as Diane Brooks, Melody’s devoted mother. Rosemarie admitted to feeling the weight of the book’s legacy, particularly with younger fans.
“I’m excited because it’s a very beloved book that a lot of kids here, at least in the States, read when they’re around fifth grade,” Rosemarie told us. “I have a lot of sixth graders coming up to me—my oldest [child] is in sixth—being like, ‘You are getting to play the mom in Out of My Mind! That’s so cool.’ And the book means so much to kids.”
“I know Phoebe has spoken a lot about wanting to get it right for the community that uses a Medi-Talker device, but I just feel like kids must see themselves in Melody Brooks because I’m having a lot of kids come up to me saying they can’t wait to see it,” she added.
For Phoebe-Rae, this role marked her acting debut—and it was an experience she’ll never forget.
“I was so nervous. I had no idea what to expect or what was gonna happen, but I have never had so much fun,” the young actress gushed. “I met so many lovely people, which I talk to today still. I just had so much fun with the people. And yeah.”
Rosemarie recalled how she was drawn to the project after reading the script and meeting director Amber Sealy.
“I didn’t know about [the book]. I had a third grader at the time, so we hadn’t encountered it yet. When I read the script, that was the first sort of pull-in,” she explained. “Then Amber showed me the video of Phoebe-Rae getting the part—hope this is okay, she showed me, you know, like when you guys were on Zoom and you got the part. I was like, ‘Look at this movie star. Look at this ray of sunshine. Like, I’m gonna get to work with her.’ I was totally in.”
For Phoebe-Rae, Out of My Mind held a personal resonance long before she auditioned for the role.
“Yes. I came across this book when I was, I think, seven or eight,” Phoebe-Rae said. “I read it in school, and I loved it because I have never seen a character like me before. I was blown away. I read it over and over again because I just loved how there was a character like me who had such an amazing story.
“If you’d told 8-year-old me that I’d be doing this, she would have had a meltdown,” Phoebe-Rae added with a laugh. “She would have a meltdown!”
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English (US) ·