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Being an autistic actor - a thread
Note that these are just my experiences, I ain’t a professional (yet
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😌" title="Erleichtertes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Erleichtertes Gesicht">) and every autistic person is different!!
Also note that the people mentioned herein didn’t know I’m autistic. Not to excuse their behavior or anything, just saying
Note that these are just my experiences, I ain’t a professional (yet
Also note that the people mentioned herein didn’t know I’m autistic. Not to excuse their behavior or anything, just saying
So I got interested in acting when I was 11. I watched this one tv show I rly liked and I was like “damn I wanna do that” but I didn’t rly know where to start. (Later I would find out that apparently acting is in my blood as both my parents were actors at one point lmao)
I live in a small ass town that doesn’t rly have anything for acting and so I just enrolled in theatre at school when I was 12
I didn’t yet know I was autistic so I didn’t get why I was struggling so much
My teacher was ok but I got cracked down on a lot
I didn’t yet know I was autistic so I didn’t get why I was struggling so much
My teacher was ok but I got cracked down on a lot
She would be like “stop swaying!!! Stop moving!!! Keep your arms still https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😡" title="Schmollendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Schmollendes Gesicht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😡" title="Schmollendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Schmollendes Gesicht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😡" title="Schmollendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Schmollendes Gesicht">” when I wasn’t even aware I was doing it
And oof I struggled so hard with facial expressions and I still do to this day
And the tone of my voice... it would be all over the place
And oof I struggled so hard with facial expressions and I still do to this day
And the tone of my voice... it would be all over the place
It was rly hard work but I liked it. I seemed to be the only one taking it seriously... which, fair, most 12 year olds don’t already know what they wanna do with their life, but I did
My school participated in an annual play contest where diff schools in the county put on plays
My school participated in an annual play contest where diff schools in the county put on plays
And they would compete against each other for best production or w/e. So I auditioned with like zero experience and at first I got cast as an understudy. Which was huge for me cause... acting.
But then ppl in the main cast dropped out of the play and suddenly my role was
But then ppl in the main cast dropped out of the play and suddenly my role was
changed to... lighting tech.
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Yeah obvs I know backstage roles and crew and shit are just as important but that’s not what I wanted to do.
But I stuck with it and me being me memorized the entire script word for word. Just cause.
(Benefits of autism)
Yeah obvs I know backstage roles and crew and shit are just as important but that’s not what I wanted to do.
But I stuck with it and me being me memorized the entire script word for word. Just cause.
(Benefits of autism)
The whole preparation took like 3 months and it was exhausting and I was kinda burnt out by the end of it ngl.
And I was so busy with that and regular school stuff that I had no time to pursue it outside of school
So up until I was 14 theatre at school was all I did
And I was so busy with that and regular school stuff that I had no time to pursue it outside of school
So up until I was 14 theatre at school was all I did
I didn’t participate in the competition the next year even tho I took theatre (2). Mostly cause the teacher asked me if I would do lighting again (but also cause I didn’t like the play they were doing) and I didn’t wanna get stuck behind the scenes again
Interestingly enough theatre 2 is how I learned I was autistic. Cause we were invited to take part in some contest to write a play about disabled ppl (gross in hindsight but I was 13) and somehow I stumbled upon autism and went HOLY SHIT THIS IS ME. this is why I’m struggling.
This is why I don’t realize I’m swaying, why I don’t understand facial expressions and why I have to learn them from movies and tv shows. This is why I feel like a goddamn alien
And i ended up writing a bomb ass play about autism that my teacher thought I plagiarized bc of how
And i ended up writing a bomb ass play about autism that my teacher thought I plagiarized bc of how
Quality it was, but that’s a different story lmao
Anyway when I was 14 I decided to pursue acting seriously, inspired by the legacy of one of my fav actors and one (1) trip to the movie capital of the US.
I found another teacher who unfortunately was much like the first
Anyway when I was 14 I decided to pursue acting seriously, inspired by the legacy of one of my fav actors and one (1) trip to the movie capital of the US.
I found another teacher who unfortunately was much like the first
Who looked at me and said “I could see you behind the camera” when they deadass knew I wanted to be in FRONT of the camera. And at this point I was getting real tired of ppl telling me I couldn’t do it. Relatives, teachers, friends, etc telling me I’d never make it
I was starting to get the attitude of “fuck you I’ll do whatever the fuck I want”
So I kept trying. There were some personal setbacks that prevented me from going full out until I was about 15, when I got some bomb ass headshots and was able to finally start auditioning
So I kept trying. There were some personal setbacks that prevented me from going full out until I was about 15, when I got some bomb ass headshots and was able to finally start auditioning
I went on LOTS of auditions. Auditions for everything and anything, sometimes up to 80 miles away, early in the day and late in the day
I went to auditions where there was blatant nepotism, where if they didn’t know you already they couldn’t care less about you
I went to auditions where there was blatant nepotism, where if they didn’t know you already they couldn’t care less about you
I went to auditions where even after making an appointment the casting director never fucking showed
Even after waiting an extra two hours for their arrival
That shit was the WORST
Fortunately around this time a new theater opened in my town and these ppl were better
Even after waiting an extra two hours for their arrival
That shit was the WORST
Fortunately around this time a new theater opened in my town and these ppl were better
They put in their mission statement that they cast ppl regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, etc and they were so welcoming. I did many auditions there and tbh I got farther there than I did most places. Cause they rly cared about everyone
And I started taking private lessons with one of the staff there from age 16 to 18 and like... WOW.
Best teacher ever, highkey. She recognized my struggle w/ facial expressions and expressing emotion and instead of reprimanding me for it, rly worked with me and I grew so much
Best teacher ever, highkey. She recognized my struggle w/ facial expressions and expressing emotion and instead of reprimanding me for it, rly worked with me and I grew so much
And she wrote me a letter of recommendation for college that said such nice stuff like “very mature, capable actor destined for success in any field she chooses”
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😭" title="Laut schreiendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Laut schreiendes Gesicht">
Anyway. The point is I tried a lot and I failed a lot, but I reached a goal I set for myself of
Anyway. The point is I tried a lot and I failed a lot, but I reached a goal I set for myself of
Ten auditions in a year. And I learned a lot, and I even booked a couple gigs along the way https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤭" title="Gesicht mit Hand über dem Mund" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Hand über dem Mund">
Unfortunately stuff happened when I graduated that meant I couldn’t pursue it fully for a time, but I was starting to again at the end of last year... and then Covid happenedhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥴" title="Woozy face" aria-label="Emoji: Woozy face">
Unfortunately stuff happened when I graduated that meant I couldn’t pursue it fully for a time, but I was starting to again at the end of last year... and then Covid happened
I am eagerly awaiting the day the industry reopens so I can start working again. especially cause one of the sites I use for booking gigs updated their website recently with a spot to include disabilities on your resume, including autism... so I decided to be open about it
The point of this thread tho is that even though people like miss sia pretend we don’t exist or we’re children or we’re too difficult to work with, AUTISTIC ACTORS EXIST
It might just be more difficult for us at first but support us!!! Accommodate us!!! We’re just as capable
It might just be more difficult for us at first but support us!!! Accommodate us!!! We’re just as capable
as any other actor.
If I hadn’t had the one teacher who worked with me on my weaknesses instead of shaming me for them — and who didn’t reprimand me when I swayed or acted “strange” — I would never have developed the confidence to get me where I am now.
So cast us, see us,
If I hadn’t had the one teacher who worked with me on my weaknesses instead of shaming me for them — and who didn’t reprimand me when I swayed or acted “strange” — I would never have developed the confidence to get me where I am now.
So cast us, see us,
Hear us.
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End thread
