Adoptees Urge Hollywood to End Harmful Stereotypes in Film and TV

Adoptees challenge Hollywood’s depictions of adoption, urging writers to move beyond villains and fairy-tale endings toward realistic, compassionate portrayals.

Adoptees say Hollywood often uses adopted children as plot devices, portraying them as villains or as the source of family drama. This pattern, they argue, can fuel stigma and shape public perception in harmful ways.

Two UK adoptees spoke out after years of watching on-screen stories that feel out of touch with their lived experiences, urging writers to rethink how adoption is depicted.

What the stories miss

James Evans, now 23 and living in Cardiff, was adopted as an infant when his birth family could not care for him. He is training as a scriptwriter and says movies such as Thor, Annabelle and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It treat the trauma of adoption as a simple explanation for bad behaviour, which makes him uncomfortable.

PhD researcher Annalisa Toccara-Jones has interviewed adult adoptees who report a big gap between what they see on screen and what they actually experience. This misrepresentation can feel like a form of gaslighting.

In James's story, biological trauma is sometimes used to excuse harmful actions, an approach he says damages how society views people who were adopted. He notes that he and his parents Ruth and Andrew Evans experience joy and support, but the unresolved grief and identity issues from early years still shape his life.

Marvel's Loki is often cited as a high-profile example of an adopted character; in the films he is presented as lovable mischief-maker, while in Norse myth he is a companion to Thor. The way Loki is used on screen feeds stereotypes of adoptees as impostors or dangerous kids when their trauma is used as a lazy plot device.

The other end of the spectrum

Conversely, some stories present adoption as a happy ending, a grateful adoptee trope. Examples include Miss Honey’s care for Matilda, which many critics say ignores the loss and grief that children experience when they are separated from their birth families.

James argues that such fairy tale endings can be just as damaging as villain portrayals because they imply that adopted people should be grateful to be loved, otherwise they are ungrateful.

This dual misrepresentation can also deter potential adoptive parents, who may fear difficult behaviour or feel misled by stories of instant bonding.

Language matters too. Framing birth families as real parents and adoptive families as less real can undermine everyday parenting and erode confidence in both groups.

Examples of hopeful portrayals

On the positive side, some writers have treated adoption with more nuance. The Doctor Who series, during Jodie Whittaker’s era, explored the Doctor’s childhood with care, a credit partly to writer Chris Chibnall, who is himself an adoptee and understands the perspective. The projects Lost Boys and Fairies by Daf James also showcase the complexity of navigating adoption.

In Daf James's award-winning drama, two husbands navigate adoption, highlighting both the challenges and transformative power of becoming a parent through adoption. He says the industry often portrays social workers as antagonists rather than allies, and depicts children as troubled rather than deserving loving homes. He believes stories can change lives by presenting adoption in a fair, compassionate light.

Advocates stress that adoptees deserve stories rooted in compassion and realism. Emily Frith, chief executive of Adoption UK, says screenwriters should research and listen to people with different lived experiences to avoid misrepresentation.

Dr. Annalisa Toccara-Jones, a researcher in Sheffield, explains that many adoptees feel a gap between on-screen depictions and their own lives. They believe policy decisions should include adoptees’ voices to influence how adoption is portrayed in media.

Backed by these voices, James is now pursuing a career in the media industry with the goal of elevating authentic adoption stories from the point of view of adoptees.

He hopes his work will encourage better dialogue about adoption and inspire productions that show the day-to-day realities and resilience of adoptive families and adoptees alike.

Expert comment

Expert note: Dr. Annalisa Toccara-Jones says that many adult adoptees feel a disconnect between what they see on screen and their own experiences, a sign that more authentic voices are needed in media policy and storytelling.

She advocates for including adoptees in conversations that shape how adoption is shown on screen.

Summary

Adoptees want fair, nuanced portrayals that reflect real-life challenges and resilience. While some shows miss the mark, others offer compassionate storytelling. Researchers and advocates call for inclusive voices to reshape how adoption is seen in media.