A pedophilic circus performer. A comedic womanizer. A killer.

These were just a few of the roles that Danny Woodburn was offered when he began auditioning for film and TV roles in the early 1990s. Woodburn, a self-described little person, quickly found that nearly every character he portrayed was miserable, broken or evil.

The go-to, I think, for little people is to make them creepy or animalistic, the actor and producer told HuffPost.

Even after landing a recurring role on Seinfeld and scoring gigs on shows including Watchmen, Jane the Virgin and CSI, Woodburn said he still came across casting opportunities that recycled tiresome tropes invoking pathos for the sad little man. Just a couple of years ago, casting directors tried to pitch him on a role in a Christmas special by saying hed get the chance to kiss a famous performer.

The big selling point was that Id be able to make out with this well-known actress, Woodburn said of the project. I was like, Who cares about that when youve created this horrible, stereotypical character and the idea is that I should be so lucky to have this opportunity as a little person to be in the arms of this well-known actress and making out with her on screen? They were looking down on little people in that sense.

Woodburn turned down every role that he found to be demeaning toward people with disabilities, determined not to contribute to objectifying portrayals of disability.

Its cost me a lot of jobs, but at the same time its given my career longevity, he said.