Eddie Barbanell

Edward "Eddie" Barbanell is an actor and comedian with Down syndrome. He is best known for playing Billy in the 2005 film The Ringer. He graduated from Coral Springs High School in 1996 and began acting in 2000, performing in various plays. His acting skills were honed under the guidance of Jay Lynch of the Opus Theater, Selma Glass at the Coconut Creek Recreation Center, and Allan Press of the Youth Theater in Boca Raton, Florida.

Barbanell made his return to the big screen in October 2010, playing a minor role in the film Jackass 3D, where he starred alongside Johnny Knoxville, whom he had previously worked with on The Ringer. In 2011, he was cast in the Comedy Central series "Workaholics," where he played a guest role as Bradley. He reprised this role in the 2013 season 3 episode "Booger Nights." Barbanell also had a small role in National Lampoon's 301: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus in the same year.

Barbanell continued to expand his acting repertoire, appearing as a guest in the MTV show "Ridiculousness" in 2013. He then appeared as a nursing home orderly in Dumb and Dumber To in 2014. His acting career progressed further with a role in the 2015 film Addicted to Fresno. More recently, Barbanell has made an appearance as Charlie on the show "Loudermilk."

Apart from his acting career, Barbanell is an advocate and athlete for the Special Olympics. He has been a speaker for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, using his platform to promote a more inclusive society. As the Special Olympics International Board Director, Barbanell was part of a delegation of athletes and self-advocates present at the historic signing of Rosa's Law by President Obama. This law replaced the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" in federal policy with the more respectful terms "intellectual disability" and "individual with an intellectual disability."