Is actor Sam Keir Gilchrist really autistic?
Netflix drama series Atypical is about to enter its latest series on the streaming platform. Keir Gilchrist, 28, plays teenager Sam Gardner in the series. Sam, who is on the autism spectrum, tries to overcome various obstacles in high school and college, including dating and relationships. The series has already had three seasons and will now end on Netflix with its fourth. During the show, actors with autism were welcomed into the cast, such as Tal Anderson. Although he plays an autistic character, Gilchrist is not autistic. The actor has done a lot of research to get to the point where he could play someone with autism, including reading works by writer and speaker David Finch. Talk to Variety, he said: My rep set me up with Robia [Rashid], the creator of the show, so I was able to sit with her for a few hours. It was a really long audition process, and we talked a lot about the different ways I could play Sam. The most useful research was the book The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome and One Mans Quest to Be a Better Mari. The book ended up being a very big factor in creating Sams character.  There are other important things to consider when portraying someone on the autism spectrum, and according to Gilchrist it was important to remember what a very specific character he was. He said Vulture: It took a lot of energy to play this role because Sams mind is going so fast all the time. While everyone is here on this plane, hes here doing his own thing. While I was working, I was constantly working against my instincts. I didnt really have eye contact with people. What Im used to is engaging with the people Im in the scene with. Sam, he sure engages, but its in a different way. It almost took me a while to get rid of the role after doing this for so many weeks. I had to come back to myself afterwards.  Research and realism are really important in portraying autism, with the use of autistic actors where possible. Tom Purser, Head of Guidance, Volunteering and Campaigns at the National Autistic Society in the UK, said: From our research, we know that many people are learning more about autism and building their skills. understanding what its like to be autistic, on movies and TV shows. . So its absolutely essential that writers and producers make sure their stories and characters are realistic and reflect both the challenges and the strengths that can come with being autistic. Autistic characters are always best when they are closely based on real life and the best way to do this is to involve and consult with people with autism and, if possible, to choose actors with autism. This helps ensure an accurate and good representation and, in our experience, makes the final job much better.  The National Autistic Society works with many producers and writers, like on films Quiet with the horses and The reason I jump, because of the important role movies and television play in how autism and people with autism are viewed.