Hollywood's Exclusion of Autistic Actors Highlights its Biggest Diversity Problem: Disability
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28 Apr 2017, 12:05 am
But none of the neurotypical candidates held a candle to Upper East Sider Samantha Elisofon, a 26-year-old actress on the autism spectrum, who assumed the part with ease.
Amateur actor Brandon Polansky, 39, plays David, the male lead — and also has autism, as do others who appear in the film.
This makes “Keep the Change” rare for two reasons: for being a non-documentary about the disorder, and for using so-called “authentic” cast members.
Tribeca: Autism Rom-Com 'Keep the Change' Among Jury Award Winners
Congratulations to everybody involved.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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11 May 2017, 4:18 am
I really connected with Christopher on so many levels. To give one example Christopher says, “I really like little spaces… as long as there’s no one else in them with me. Sometimes when I want to be on my own I go into the airing cupboard, slide in next to the boiler, and pull the door closed behind me, and sit there and think for hours, and it makes me feel very calm.”
When I was a kid I had a wooden trunk I kept my magic tricks in, and I would often sit inside of it with the lid closed for hours until my mom would make me get out, because she was worried about how much air might be left inside.
As an actor with autism, how does it feel to consistently see roles centered on disabilities be played by actors without disabilities?
There is an old joke: “What’s the surest way to win an Oscar (Tony, Emmy, etc.)? Have a non-disabled person play a disabled character.” Only it’s not really a joke. There is so much misinformation and so many stereotypes around autism because we nearly always learn about autism from others instead of going straight to the source and learning about autism from autistic adults.
Ideally someone with a disability could play any role, and not have that role be about disability. A wheelchair user could play Hamlet and not ever mention the wheelchair, or someone who is legally blind and autistic like I am could play Puck. But until we see that happening, the least we can do is give disabled people a voice to represent our own communities in a way that is more about honesty and less about stereotypes.
You mentioned memorizing scripts before going on auditions, because you are legally blind. Are there other exercises, routines or elements of being a professional actor with autism that others might not know?
Not really. In both rehearsal and performance, [those are] my safe zones. Where I feel in my element. During lunch breaks or out on the street, that’s where I feel much less comfortable and use autistic tricks like wearing headphones and sunglasses.
The email you sent me beautifully describes how you feel more comfortable performing a script than interacting with strangers. Do you think your autism has made you a stronger actor by requiring you to incorporate so many elements of acting into your everyday life?
I would certainly hope so. And I think so, yes. Being autistic I get to practice acting every minute of every day.
Why, in your opinion, is it important that the arts represent individuals with disabilities, not only through telling their stories but representing them as artists onstage?
The young actors in this country who have a disability need to see positive role models who will tell them that if you are different, if you access the world differently, if you need special accommodations, then theatre needs you! The world needs you. I think theater should make everyone feel less alone. It should show you your hopes and dreams both failed and realized. Everyone should be able to go to the theatre or turn on their TV and see somebody like them, someone who thinks like them. Everyone should also definitely be able to go to the theatre and see someone who thinks very differently than they do.
Since you are one the first actors with autism to play a character with autism, do you feel like a role model for younger actors?
I have had a number of young autistic actors reaching out to me on Facebook to tell me how amazing it is to hear from someone who has experienced such similar things to themselves.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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13 May 2017, 3:51 am
Aspie actor Jules Robertson plays an aspie charactor on the BBC show Holby City
Being autistic will not stop my acting career, says Holby City’s Jules Robertson
Now Jules has joined forces with leading figures from some of the UK’s largest public and private-sector organisations to help launch Purple — a new organisation set on improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities by supporting both business and the individual.
Jules (25), the son of best-selling author Kathy Lette, says: “What makes me different from other actors is that I’m autistic.
“Life can be hard for autistic people, we want to work, we need to work, but it’s really difficult to get a job despite the fact that our brains are unique.
“Because I have had to fight this condition my whole life and I know just how hard it is, so I can bring that experience to the role.
“OK, Dustin Hoffman was great as the Rain Man but I still think I can bring a special edge, something extra to a role like that. I think Hamlet was on the autistic spectrum so maybe one day I will play the Asperger’s Hamlet.
“Autistic people have amazing talents. Some are very good with figures, some have very high IQs. They could add value to someone’s business, and a job would help them value themselves.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
25 Jun 2017, 9:58 am
I agree! Autistic characters SHOULD be played by Autistic actors. We need this SO badly.
When I was a teen I wanted to be an actress - maybe I should presume that dream? (Not really, not sure I'd enjoy it as much as making art.)
ASPartOfMe
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05 Jul 2017, 5:02 am
But none of the neurotypical candidates held a candle to Upper East Sider Samantha Elisofon, a 26-year-old actress on the autism spectrum, who assumed the part with ease.
Amateur actor Brandon Polansky, 39, plays David, the male lead — and also has autism, as do others who appear in the film.
This makes “Keep the Change” rare for two reasons: for being a non-documentary about the disorder, and for using so-called “authentic” cast members.
Tribeca: Autism Rom-Com 'Keep the Change' Among Jury Award Winners
Congratulations to everybody involved.
Interview with director Rachell Israel
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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11 Nov 2017, 1:16 am
Role Playing: Actors with Autism Portraying Characters with Autism
I have heard showrunners tell me, “there isn’t a talent pool strong enough to carry these roles, so we have to hire people without autism to portray people with autism.” I cringe when I hear this and I challenge their assertion on a few different levels:
I’ve often heard that some production companies have concerns that an actor with autism may have a ‘melt down’ on the set. Believe me, as a veteran acting coach, I have witnessed more on-set meltdowns from stars of feature films and TV shows, than I have ever witnessed in any of my classes!! My professional students with autism are among the most reliable actors you can hire. They are tireless, committed, focused, prepared, and usually don’t hang out at craft service socializing.
For comedies, it is so much funnier and appropriate to laugh WITH our kids and families that AT them. We can help work with studios, networks and production companies to create more of these opportunities to unite together now and into the future.
It’s good business! At ARC’s recent national conference, Katie Driscoll, founder of Changing the Face of Beauty , Jonathan Murray, CEO of Bunim Murray Productions and Executive Producer of Born This Way; and Jeff Blade, CEO Of Matilda Jane Clothing, discussed how including individuals with disabilities is good for their companies.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
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ASPartOfMe
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16 Mar 2018, 1:11 am
But none of the neurotypical candidates held a candle to Upper East Sider Samantha Elisofon, a 26-year-old actress on the autism spectrum, who assumed the part with ease.
“Samantha lights up every room,” says Israel, whose movie “Keep the Change” premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday. “Over the course of the production, she grew so much as an actor.”
Amateur actor Brandon Polansky, 39, plays David, the male lead — and also has autism, as do others who appear in the film.
This makes “Keep the Change” rare for two reasons: for being a non-documentary about the disorder, and for using so-called “authentic” cast members.
The actress, who was featured in The Post last year with her neurotypical twin brother, Matthew, is “over the moon” that the film has been selected to premiere and compete at Tribeca.
“It’s a dream come true for the cast,” she says. “To be part of a prestigious mainstream festival like this is awesome.”
As for her future in show business, Elisofon hopes to do for autism what Marlee Matlin has done for the deaf community.
“The sky is the limit,” adds the brunette, who hopes her exposure at Tribeca might lead to her getting a casting agent.
Tribeca Film Festival Keep the Change Webpage
“Keep the Change” is out in theaters in limited engagement
Review: In ‘Keep the Change,’ Two People With Autism Find Love - New York Times
“Keep the Change” is not a seamlessly crafted movie, but it’s awfully tenderhearted and thoroughly disarming. It deserves to be widely seen
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
ASPartOfMe
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17 Mar 2018, 1:29 am
Casting a woman to play his love interest, though, proved a much greater challenge. Israel auditioned roughly 100 professional actors, but nobody fit until Israel shifted tactics and cast a co-star who was also on the spectrum. Israel cast two more actors with autism in supporting roles and worked with all four of them until she had something truly unique – a story in which the characters with autism drive all the action.
The result is Keep the Change, a film that steps confidently into ongoing conversations about the merits of authentic casting and pop culture portrayals of people with autism. TV has recently given us a bumper crop with Atypical, a Netflix creation, and The A Word, on the BBC, following young people with autism, and ABC’s The Good Doctor telling the story of an adult savant.
But while most shows like these have relied on non-autistic actors and dwelled on how people who have autism interact with those who don’t, Keep the Change does something different. Instead, the film revolves around the story of David (Polansky), who meets Sarah (Samantha Elisofon) at a support group for adults on the spectrum and starts up a romance; meanwhile, caretakers, teachers, cab drivers, pedestrians and merry-go-round passengers bob in and out of the story without ever commanding its focus.
The script was born out of years of interviews and improvisation with Polansky and the other main actors. “Authentic casting was a huge controlling factor in how the film came out,” Israel said. “I’m not an expert on autism, so my way into the story was knowing this cast and keeping them involved from the beginning.”
She continued: “I didn’t trust myself to go off and write something without the involvement of the cast. I don’t think it would have been good or felt real.”
Israel departs from stories about autism that redound with questions about how their family members can forge a stronger connection.
“One thing you’ll see across a lot of representations is that even if, within the story, the highest stakes are with the character who has autism, it’s very often not framed as that person’s story,” Israel said. “It becomes about the brother of the parents or some other character who is the caretaker.”
Even in cases where the main character has autism, she added, those stories often take as their central conflict that person’s attempts to fit into the larger world. “To me, then, it frequently becomes a comparison,” she said. “This is what people with autism look like, and here’s how they differ from people who don’t.”
Keep the Change breaks with stories that have treated autism itself as a barrier to deep relationships. While David and Sarah differ in their abilities to gel with the broader world – him with his unfiltered jokes, her struggles with abstract language – it’s their choices about how to navigate the world and each other that ultimately threaten their new romance.
For Israel, anchoring the film with four actors with autism meant an opportunity to show how diverse the spectrum really is – movies tend to favor depictions in which autism coincides with extraordinary abilities. Polansky himself hoped the performances would a break from stereotypes of people with autism as affectless and having simplistic personal connections. “It’s supposed to change the way we look at people on the autism spectrum – these awful pictures of autism as if we’re a bunch of mutants,” he said.
Polanksy’s involvement also meant that the film’s meditations on autism, its challenges and its stigma are largely refracted through the people who live with it. In one of his character’s low moments, for instance, Polanksy unleashes a torrent of abuse on a homeless person portrayed by Israel’s husband. “David transparently was looking in a mirror, calling himself names, spitting in the mirror,” Polansky said. The monologue borrowed insults that have been hurled at him in real life.
The story is based on his first serious romantic relationship, which happened to end shortly before filming began. “It was so painful to make something about a love story that no longer existed,” he recalled. But it was worth it, he said, “to paint this beautiful picture of how we really are.”
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
17 Mar 2018, 1:43 am
After studying acting and taking classes, I have learned things about it. First of all acting is not just learning lines. Also actors have to use theory of mind and imagine how the character they are playing is thinking and feeling and what their motive is. Autistic people have difficulty with this.
You also need flexibility, you can get a call for a call back so that means drop what you are doing and go in and do the audition again. It is unexpected. Autistic people have troubles with sudden change and interruptions. Also being on the set, you have no idea when you will go home or when you will be done with the scene. You could be on it for 15 hours and still haven't gone home yet. It's unpredictable. Autistic people have troubles with uncertainty and their routines being messed up and different.
Good attitude, yes you basically need good social skills to handle conflicts and difficult people and not react to how they are treating you and the unfairness they are giving you. It can reflect badly on you if you react badly and destroy your acting career because then casting directors wouldn't want to cast you. yes the word spreads in the industry.
Are there aspie actors out there, of course but there are far more normie actors out there than there are with autistic actors. I am guessing they handle all these things or otherwise they wouldn't be in the industry.
Also how casting works is casting directors look for actors who they feel fit the role. If an autistic person doesn't fit the role of another autistic person, they won't cast them. Also they use professional actors, they are not just going to do an open call for all autistic people in the area to portray an autistic character because they want professionals. No one is going to cast a beginner actor with no acting experience in a lead role for a movie or a co star role or even a guest star. The business doesn't work that way. It takes about ten years to get that far in the industry after you begin acting according to Wendy Alane Wright. I am sure that depends on how serious you take it and how hard you work.
Kids that star in TV shows usually started acting in commercials in their toddler years or they started taking acting classes at a theater at a young age and did some plays there before going to film.
I have learned that things we read in the media about actors don't tell the whole story because they always make it look like there is this one normal kid and bam he just got a role in a feature film as the star. No it didn't happen like that. Or when someone gets discovered and they begin acting, we don't hear that they took acting classes or workshops. Only time this ever happens is if you are a baby. They are cute, they don't need to act. They just use them for film. For small children, they don't really need to craft, they are just cute. Then to maintain their acting career, they take classes and do training to keep on doing it and to keep being casted. As you get older, more gets expected out of you in the business. For kid auditions, all they need to do is answer questions you give them like their name and date of birth and about their general life and you send it in. For kids to start acting, all they need to do is recite a commercial and the parent mails it to a talent agent and if they liked how the kid recited it, they represent them. But that doesn't work that way for 18 and up. I think it's easier for a kid to start acting than it is for an adult. You don't just go in and say "I am Beth and I have always wanted to be an actress so i would like to be in a movie please." No, they would just see me as a wannabe actor and send me away politely. I would be seen as an amateur. If I want to act, go take classes, (Wendy says go to theater school) go to workshops, go practice, do plays and community plays, do indie and student films, study. Wannabe actors want to do none of that, they just want to go in and just be handed a part and then bam they do their lines and act, it doesn't work that way. That is what actors call being lazy. Wendy compares that to walking into a hospital and saying "Hi I have always wanted to be a doctor, what floor can I work on to be a doctor, can you put me to work now?" and they had no training in being a doctor and never studied it. Only time you can be on film with no acting experience is being a background actor but guess what, that gives you no acting experience and it won't help you become an actor. You're just treated like cattle and not considered part of the group like actors are. you're just there and then you are shuffled away and put in some room until they need you again. You are not allowed to interact with the actors or any of the crew people. Though i have heard of stories about actors interacting with background actors like Rosie O Donnell kept the extras entertained between filming on A League of Their own set with puppet shows and stuff she did so they wouldn't leave and the crew decided to just pay the extras so they wouldn't leave because it was so hot out. I just read online extras are not allowed to ever leave the set but these people could for A league of Their Own production? I guess every company is different. The one here that casts people for extras is very strict and does not allow it or else the charge you $100 and deactivate your profile. I am not sure if that means they delete you and put you on their blacklist.
It's rare to just sit back and not be doing anything when you get discovered by a casting agent or a talent agent and you just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I read you have a higher chance of winning the lottery than this happening. Most actors have to do the work themselves. But back in the days it used to be if you wanted to be on film, all you had to do was go to the agency and they would sign you in and do a contract and they would cast you and give you training, they don't do that anymore. If you look at old film from the 1930's and 1940s and 1950's, you will see how different acting was then, look at how they craft and express themselves and how they express fear and anger. Now today that would be considered bad acting and not be used for film. It wasn't serious then is why. It was the same with singing too, you want to be a singer, just go in to the talent person and they will put you right to singing. Now you have to do your own work.
So that is why autistic people do not get casted for autistic characters. it doesn't work that way. Is it possible to get casted as an autistic person for an autistic character, yes it is because it's happened before.
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Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed and ASD lv 1.
Daughter: NT, no diagnoses. Possibly OCD. Is very private about herself.
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08 Jun 2018, 2:22 am
Despite the polar differences between Lince and the character Nathan, this new motion picture exploring the relationship between a young autistic man and his sister and their road to survival, the 24-year-old explained his strong connection to the role. At three-years-old, Lince was diagnosed with high-functioning autism.
“I was really grabbed by the story,” Lince said. “I think on a general, ethereal level, that attachment to being someone like me with autism, that really resonated with me a lot.”
The film has its west coast premiere in the Dances With Films Festival on Wednesday at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood and stars Lince, who lives and was raised in Culver City. “Nathan’s Kingdom” is Lince’s first leading role in a feature film. Lince was cast by filmmaker Oliver Muñoz out of about 200 other actors who were both neurotypical and on the spectrum. Muñoz knew Lince was right for the role after several auditions when he understood Lince would do whatever the role required.
“Jacob is on the spectrum and he’s playing someone on the spectrum who is very different than himself,” Muñoz said. “Jacob fell out of the sky and was the perfect actor to take on this role.”
Lince started acting at age 15 with The Miracle Project in Beverly Hills, a performing arts program for children and adults with autism. He also worked with performing arts groups at Culver City High School, dee-Lightful productions in Culver City and Performing Arts Studio West in Inglewood.
When Lince started auditioning for more professional roles, his parents encouraged him but expected a long and tedious process. “He kept saying, ‘We’ve got to get me out there,’ and I kept saying, ‘You’re going to be auditioning a whole lot before you get anything,’” Victoria Lince said. “Then the first time he auditions he gets a feature film.”
“I hope that I can give inspiration to others on the spectrum,” Lince said. “I think at some point you just have to give it a shot – whatever you want to do, whether it’s acting or just anything else in the world – you just have to start trying to put yourself out there. It can be hard to not worry about what might happen to you, but it’s the journey that really matters, and I think I’ve had a really great experience so far.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
08 Jun 2018, 7:05 am
I remember seeing Splash.....and yeah Daryl Hannah appears to be playing into the pop culture aspect of Asperger's. Take what celebrities say with a grain of salt. Her popularity was during my early dating years. In fact one of my many dates I went on was to see Splash. Had zillions of first dates but nothing past since I was one of those that couldn't handle touch. There's no way in hell that I could've dealt with all the over the top touching and kissing that Daryl was doing in that movie. Sorry guys but I don't find her relatable. Likeable? Incredibly. Quiet and sweet but autistic.....not really.
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