Why is Anya Greene in a wheelchair in Netflix’s Run Away? Discover the reality behind Ellie Henry’s character and why the series chose a subtle, powerful approach to disability.
Just a few days after its release, we can already say that Run Away is one of the most successful and satisfying series among those based on Harlan Coben’s books (if you are curious about other series inspired by Harlan Coben’s books, you should try Shelter or Fool Me Once). The TV show has everything we could ask for from a mystery penned by him: a plot full of dark points, a slow progression that reveals answers very sparingly, extraordinary events that remain practically impossible to guess in advance, characters with peculiar personalities about whom we change our opinion as events unfold… yes, Run Away has given viewers a lot to think about, and the finale obviously presented a gripping series of twists that changed the way we saw things. In the end, Simon Greene’s intense gaze fixed on us in the series’ final image seems to say “and now what?”, asking us how one can move forward after discovering everything that has happened up to that moment.
The public’s questions have naturally been many, focusing on the main plot events and why they happen in that precise way. The series, however, does a good job of clearly explaining how things went, and the characters provide the answers clearly in the Run Away finale. However, there is a more particular point that has sparked the public’s curiosity, and it concerns one of Simon and Ingrid’s daughters, Anya Greene. We almost always see her in a wheelchair, but there is one scene, in the last episode at the hospital, where Anya rises from the couch and hugs her father.
Since the plot of Run Away was studded with small details that can provide clues to its mysteries, the public wondered why this detail exists. Why is Anya Greene in a wheelchair in Netflix’s Run Away? Is it a plot hole, a production oversight, or does it have something to do with what happened to the Greene family? The answer might surprise you: let’s discover together the detail in Run Away that the direction decided not to explain explicitly.
Why is Anya Greene in a wheelchair? The reality of Ellie Henry
Anya is one of Simon and Ingrid Greene’s daughters. She is a diligent student, anxiously following the confusing events revolving around her family while staying as focused as possible on her studies. We often see her beside her mother in the hospital room, waiting for her to wake up from her coma. And she is almost always in a wheelchair. Except for one scene, at the end of the series, where we see her stand up and hug her father in the hospital waiting room. Anya and Sam were waiting for their father to give them updates on his meeting with Professor Van De Beek.
The audience’s questions naturally sparked instantly. Wasn’t Anya in a wheelchair throughout the entire series? Is there something this detail wants to tell us, perhaps a plot point that the director hasn’t yet revealed and could prove important to understanding the series? Why does something like this happen without a clear answer even at the end of Run Away?
The answer is very simple and has to do with the actress who plays Anya Greene in Run Away, Ellie Henry. The actress Ellie Henry has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, diagnosed when she was a teenager, and uses a wheelchair regularly in real life.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a hereditary disease caused by a defect in collagen synthesis. Because of this, joints are less stable, sprains are more frequent, and using the muscular system is more tiring. For this reason, actress Ellie Henry makes extensive use of a wheelchair. But if she is careful, she can stand up and walk for short periods. It is a level of disability that does not prevent her from using her legs, albeit with greater effort and attention than others.
In casting Ellie Henry to play the role of Anya Greene, the production of Run Away simply chose to incorporate the actress’s disability into the series’ plot. Without feeling the need to give specific explanations. An important choice that aims to normalize the condition of disability for Ellie and those like her: being in a wheelchair is something relatively common, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be explained explicitly. And if we see the same person stand up at some point, it means their level of disability is not permanent, and using their legs is possible, albeit with certain limitations and for short periods.
From the Book to the Screen: Ellie Henry’s Surprise Casting
In this interview with the BBC, Ellie Henry explained that she was surprised to be chosen to play Anya Greene in Run Away. As Harlan Coben fans know, Anya is not disabled in the book, but the production still chose to cast her, naturally integrating her disability into the series. In that same interview, Ellie explains that she started studying acting precisely after realizing she could no longer play sports competitively.
The production of Run Away thus chooses to include a disabled actress in the cast without necessarily having to give explanations: a message of inclusion that intends to normalize the condition of those like Ellie Henry, the actress who plays Anya. Because we must not identify Ellie solely by a wheelchair, and we must not assume that her disability is absolute. In short, not everything has to be explained explicitly, and not everything is a plot mystery that alludes to secrets requiring an explanation: a wheelchair can easily be part of the normal life of any character, and it is our duty not to see anything strange in it.
