‘This is akin to blackface.’ — Actor Danny Woodburn, who had a popular, recurring role on ‘Seinfeld’ as Mickey Abbott (Byron Purvis)
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Heigh ho, heigh ho, those fake dwarfs have got to go!
A lot of little Americans have big problems with “Snow White and the Huntsman,” after producers cast average-sized actors for the role of dwarfs.
“This is akin to black face,” said “Seinfeld” actor Danny Woodburn, comparing “Huntsman’s” low-blow casting to offensive minstrel acts in the early 20th century.
Woodburn had a popular recurring role on “Seinfeld” as Mickey Abbott — a struggling little-person actor and pal of Jerry’s neighbor Kramer.
“If they were casting little people as the doctor on ‘ER’ or the lawyer on ‘The Good Wife,’ if it worked both ways, then I wouldn’t have a beef with this,” Woodburn told The Post.
“But it doesn’t work that way.”
Eight non-dwarf actors were cast as Snow Whites’ vertically challenged pals, including ”Who Framed Roger Rabbit” actor Bob Hoskins, “Shaun of the Dead’s” Nick Frost, and “Deadwood’s” Ian McShane.
Their faces and voices were digitally fit into dwarf bodies, robbing real diminutive actors of their potential roles.
“Huntsman” was released last weekend and ruled North American box offices with $56.2 million in ticket sales.
“It was a casting decision, not a body-type decision,” a rep for “Huntsman’s” Universal Pictures.
“They [actors in the dwarf roles] came with pedigrees and recognizability.”
An advocate for little people said diminutive actors should get first crack at roles penned for characters like themselves.
“We believe the entertainment industry, in particular, should cast little people in the full breadth of possible roles,” said Leah Smith, vice president of the advocacy group Little People of America.
“This means casting little people in roles that were written specifically for little people or roles that would be open to an average-height person or to a person of short stature.”
In an odd little mishap, Woodburn was accidentally sent a “Huntsman” script 16 months ago as he was preparing for his role in Julia Roberts’ Snow White flick, “Mirror Mirror.”
The little “Seinfeld” star was stunned to see, in the script, names of average-sized actors penciled in for the dwarf roles.
“These guys are all fabulous actors,” Woodburn said.
“The argument will always be that they’re taking creative license . . . That kind of manipulation for the sake of art doesn’t sit well with me.”