Is The Actor In The Good Doctor Autistic

On Doing Research For The Role:

Before playing Shaun, Freddie said he was“aware” of autism because he knows people in his personal life with the condition. But in order to properly portray a person with autism himself, Freddie and The Good Doctor showrunner David Shore did a ton of research before even filming their first episode. They also hired autism consultant Melissa Reiner to help them get the character just right.

“David Shore, our wonderful main writer and showrunner, and I sat down before the pilot and also between the pilot and making the show with the consultant that we still have on-board,” Freddie said on ABC podcast Popcorn With Peter Travers. “And also just traded back and forth books and pieces of literature and documentaries that we thought were useful or gave us some sort of insight into building this one, very particular character.”

Freddie’s research hasn’t stopped since, even now that he’s three seasons into playing his character: “I’m constantly learning,” he told Digital Spy in March 2019. “Aside from continual research, or working with the consultant that we have, I’m also talking to people who feel that they have a personal connection to the show through autism, and are pleased or thankful that the show is seeking to raise awareness in that way.”

Will Yun Lee As Dr Alex Park

In The Good Doctor, Lee stars as the series Dr Alex Park, a surgical resident and former police officer from Phoenix, Arizona. 

The actor has a notable career in Hollywood, starring as Danny Woo in the supernatural drama Witchblade and Jae Kim in the sci-fi series Bionic Woman. He has also appeared in True Blood, Hawaii Five-O, Torque and Elektra. Interestingly, the actor holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and once earned an athletic scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied political science and ethnic studies. 

Highmore Does Not Have Autism But He Studied The Disorder Carefully For The Show

In real life, Highmore does not have any developmental disability. But playing the role of someone with multiple disorders requires extensive knowledge of the disorders themselves. He once said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he knows someone with autism but also did a lot of research to learn the best way to portray the role. He also once mentioned a full-time consultant who oversees the way his role is portrayed and helps him learn the best way to act it out.

Autistic Adults Review The Good Doctor

~ 7 minute read 

The Good Doctor, which airs on CTV, has drawn much attention from the autism community. It centres around Dr. Shawn Murphy, a young autistic savant resident surgeon at an American hospital, played by neurotypical actor Freddie Highmore. Highmore has drawn praise from some parts of the autism community for the care he has brought to the role.  However, others have raised concerns over the representation of people on the autism spectrum in the media and the overall message that a program like this presents to the public.  

Autism Ontario assembled a diverse group of adults with autism to review and discuss The Good Doctor. The group consisted of self-advocates Michael McCreary, comedian and author; Courtney Weaver, freelance writer; David Moloney, Autism Ontario Board Member and Mutual Fund Indexer with CIBC; Matthew Lemay, freelance writer; Anthony Spezzano, Capital Markets Specialist, TD Securities; Christian Maltesta; and, Nicole Corrado. Michael Cnudde, self-advocate and Specialist Communications and Project Development, Autism Ontario, moderated the panel. 

All in all, I find that it plays the autism card a little too heavily, said David. He found the shows lead actor and writers tried to show autism as a broad concept or a construct. He thought this was too general an approach and much was lost this way. It doesnt really portray the positivity exuded by people on the spectrum. 

Want To Connect With The Mightys Autism Community Follow The Mightys Autism Page To Share Your Thoughts And Questions

It takes Highmore a moment to answer the question. Not that you are in any way suggesting this, he starts, but I think one of the misconceptions sometimes about people who have autism is that they somehow are devoid of emotion or emotionless, or that because they cant always express their emotions that theres nothing going on inside, and of course thats not true.

This myth is exactly that, a myth, Maxine Share, an autistic autism consultant for a non-profit agency in Canada, explained. Because may have naturally a flat facial expression and flat tone of voice, assumptions are made that their responses indicate a lack of empathy, Share told The Mighty. Autistic children dont know what they are communicating with their body language, tone of voice or facial expressions and may not correctly interpret what others are communicating, she said, adding:

Autistic people feel emotion deeplyemotional empathy exists by the bucketful. Cognitive empathy? Knowing what to do with what you are feeling or knowing how to respond to the feeling of others? That is another story entirely.

Those with an autistic identification might struggle to understand what is expected of them when others are in distress, or grieving, or are overwhelmed with joy or other emotions. The good news is that autistic children, teens, and adults can learn, but others must take the time to teach to any gaps in understanding.

Image via Wikimedia Commons/MingleMediaTV

I Have Autism It’s Part Of Who I Am

But when a patient ‘like him’ rolls through the emergency room, it’s an entirely the good doctor airs 10:00pm on mondays on abc. On ‘the good doctor, dr. The good doctor is an upcoming abc series that follows dr. A young surgical resident with autism and savant syndrome relocates from a quiet country life to join the prestigious st. Shaun murphy is not an abrasive misanthrope like dr. I like competence porn, and so does most of america. Read the official abc bio, show quotes and learn about the role at abc tv. The makers of the good doctor hired behavioural and autism consultant melissa reiner to help make highmore’s performance as realistic as possible. Shaun murphy is charming, sweet, tender and all alone in the world for reasons that’ll become clear by the end of suspicions that the good doctor oversimplifies autism aren’t quelled when one considers that the show, like atypical, currently doesn’t have autistic. Doctor shaun murphy does not only have autism, but shaun is autistic, so, he has trouble dealing with emotions. Shaun murphy, is diagnosed with autism and savant syndrome. Does freddie highmore really have autism? Freddie highmore’s representation of the autistic dr.

Is Shawn Murphy Of The Good Doctor Really Autistic

Is Shawn Murphy Of The Good Doctor Really Autistic. Shaun murphy, is diagnosed with autism and savant syndrome. The good doctor s01x08 shaun vs thief with a gun shaun’s reaction to it s01x08.

I also really liked they separated his being autistic from his having savant syndrome which not all autistic people have. Fans of the good doctor are crossing their fingers that shaun murphy finally gets together with his neighbor and best friend lea dillalo during the second half of season 3. By itself, autism spectrum disorder is a condition that includes a range. The good doctor is an american medical drama television series developed for abc by david shore, based on the south korean series of the same name.the series is produced by. Half of the three was okay, but since then just went down an autistic doctor struggling to navigate his profession while excelling in the intellectual realm and struggling severely.

The Good Doctor: One Autistic’s Review

Maxfield Sparrow

• An accurate representation of what autism can look like
• An accurate representation of how the world treats Autistic people
• Some effort to move the public understanding of autism and Autists to a new level

The point of the label was to highlight the juxtaposition of ‘extreme incompetence’ and ‘extreme competence.’ Not only were the term and the ideas behind it offensive and ableist, it was a way of stating what society finds valuable or worthless about a person. The brilliant musicianship, for example, was valuable because people liked to hear the music and would pay money to listen. The ‘idiot’ nature of the rest of the persons life was considered worthless. 

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We Bet ‘the Good Doctor’ Fans Didn’t Know These Interesting Facts About The Show’s Cast

• 14 May 2021

The Good Doctor, since airing back in 2017, has become one of the most beloved medical dramas worldwide. The series follows Shaun, a young autistic doctor, who travels from his mid-city life in Casper, Wyoming, to join the medical staff at the renowned St. Bonaventure Hospital hospital in San Jose, California, who uses his unlikely skills to treat patients and prove his abilities to his colleagues. 

The series features Freddie Highmore as Dr Shaun Murphy; Antonia Thomas as Dr Claire Browne; Hill Harper as Dr Marcus Andrews; and Richard Schiff as Dr Aaron Glassman, with the show’s star-studded lineup also constantly introducing fresh new faces to keep up with its exciting, dramatic and often downright heartbreaking storylines.

Read on to discover where you’ve seen the cast of The Good Doctor before, and learn some interesting facts about the impressive actors. 

Still A Lot Of People Do Believe In Shaun Glassmancertainly A Father Figurehas Always Defended Shaun And Shauns Ability To Operate Despite His Condition But Recent Episodes Have Seen Their Dynamic Shift As Shaun Has Demanded More Independence Where Is That Headed

Schiff: The writers are like, Glassman has to let Shaun go so he can grow and learn. But even a surrogate father like Glassman doesnt want his child to go through pain. Glassmans no all-wise Yoda, though. I think he has selfish reasons for wanting to maintain a certain kind of relationship with Shaun.

Anatomy Of A Hit: How Abc’s ‘the Good Doctor’ Became The Season’s Breakout

Sociologist William Petersen coined the term model minority to describe positively stereotyped demographic groups that achieve success despite marginalization. For instance, Asian Americans transformed from the yellow peril and brown horde of the late 19th century to a respected and industrious group that closed the wage gap by the 1970s  not because of educational gains, economist Nathaniel Hilger found, but because of less racist public perceptions. Contrast The Mask of Fu Manchu  the infamous pre-Code film where Myrna Loy and Boris Karloff don yellowface for the roles of dragon lady and evil criminal genius to Bruce Lees martial arts films of the 70s in which Asian protagonists are idealized.

Idealizing traditional Asian values conveniently upheld the racist status quo. Asian Americans were elevated while other minorities, especially African Americans, were denigrated because they were not perceived to be as hard-working or self-sufficient. This undermined the call for systemic anti-racist changes demanded by the Civil Rights Movement.

For example, in The Good Doctor pilot, Dr. Murphy exists to enlighten his neurotypical peers. In an exchange with a skeptical hospital board, the president of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital justifies hiring the autistic surgeon because of Dr. Murphys genius-level skills and because it will feel goodWe hire Shaun and we make this hospital better for it. We hire Shaun, and we are better people for it.

Christina Chang As Dr Audrey Lim

Chang takes on the role of Dr Audrey Lim, an attending trauma surgeon in charge of the ER and surgical residents, later becoming the Chief of Surgery, and when the series decides to introduce COVID-19 as a storyline, her character developed post-traumatic stress disorder from her experiences. 

Born and raised in Taiwan, the actress originally set out to become a ballerina, and at the age of 17 moved to the U.S. to study acting in Kansas and Washington. Chang is best known for her work in 24, Dragnet, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, and Nashville. 

Is Actor Freddie Highmore Autistic In

Shaun murphy is not an abrasive misanthrope like dr. Doctor shaun murphy does not only have autism, but he also has an extremely rare condition called the savant syndrome. It follows the life of shaun murphy , a young surgeon who lives with autism and savant syndrome. That being said, i do identify with a lot of the things shaun murphy goes through. As a resident at st. The good doctor shaun really autistic. Shaun murphy, a surgical resident with autism. Actor freddie highmore, who plays autistic surgeon shaun murphy in the hit abc series the good doctor addressed a common myth about individuals with autism. The protagonist, shaun murphy, is a young doctor who happens to be diagnosed with autism. I’m also on the autistic spectrum, so the suggestion that shaun shouldn’t be allowed to perform surgery. Abc)is actor freddie highmore autistic in real life? Shaun’s autism serves as a sort of screen that. Shaun murphy , a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates.

The good doctor is the hottest show on television right now. Shaun murphy is the main titular protagonist of the good. ‘the good doctor’ actor speaks up about a common autism myth during interview shaun’s autism serves as. I’m also on the autistic spectrum, so the suggestion that shaun shouldn’t be allowed to perform surgery. Bonaventure, he must learn the ropes of hospital work, while facing unique challenges and embracing his strengths due to his diagnoses of autism and savant syndrome.

What Happened In Season 4 Of The Good Doctor

Season 4 began with the hospital being hit by a cyberattack that threatens to shut down life-saving machines. Lea rises to the challenge by looking to outsmart the hackers. Meanwhile, the team treats an inspirational cancer survivor-turned-successful philanthropist who harbors a dark secret, in the premiere episode directed by Highmore.

Former rivals, Dr. Morgan Reznick and Dr. Alex Park began to bond in season 4, especially after they become roommates when he decides his marriage is finally over. While originally concerned about becoming romantic, the season 4 finale set the stage for the two to seriously date. Another storyline that could be picked up in the new season is the PTSD being suffered by Dr. Lim , after months of watching her patients die from maladies compounded by the pandemic.

Much of season 4 focused on Shaun and his relationship with girlfriend, Lea, her pregnancy, miscarriage and its implications on their relationship. The season ended with a team from St. Bonaventure traveling on a medical mission to Guatemala.

While in Guatemala, Dr. Lim makes a significant connection with a man at the hospital, Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma , leaving the door open for a possible romance.

The shows fans are very excited to see where things go with Lim, Osma, and other characters, and especially if there is a wedding in store for Lea and Dr. Shaun. Stay tuned for this and more

Coby Bird Actor With Autism To Guest Star On The Good Doctor

Coby Bird and Freddie Highmore of The Good Doctor

Los Angeles, Nov. 12 On Monday, Nov. 13, Coby Bird will be a guest star on ABCs The Good Doctor. Bird was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. At fifteen years old, he stands out in the crowd at six feet tall.

Bird plays a patient with autism who causes the main character, Dr. Shaun Murphy, to reflect on his own diagnosis of autism.

Murphy is a doctor with autism and savant spectrum played by Freddie Highmore, who is not on the spectrum. The doctor takes on the case of a patient with autism .

Youre scaring him, Murphy says in a preview. Hes not psychotic; hes autistic.

Birds character, who feels comfortable with Murphy, requests him to be his surgeon. Murphys supervisor has yet to let him do a real surgery.

Freddie Highmore On Acting And Staying Grounded As An Actor

The Good Doctor stars actor Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism. While Highmore plays a physician with autism, Highmore does not have autism. That said, Freddie did a lot of research and worked with an autistic consultant to help with his TV series role.

Since 2017, British actor Highmore has played Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism, on the ABC medical drama. Playing a character with autism on such a big stage, Highmore takes the role very seriously.

I feel very fortunate to have been offered the part of Shaun, he told Digital Spy. It seemed like an incredibly important project, and thats why I wanted to be a part of it. Im proud to be a part of it.

Autism And Savant Syndrome Often Go Hand

Savant syndrome is a rare developmental disorder that makes someone uncharacteristically talented or brilliant in some way. It enables a person to have an incredible memory and become extremely good at either a specific skill, such as art, or the ability to solve problems by creating solutions that nobody else would ever come up with. On the show, Highmore uses his abilities to figure out what is wrong with patients; he often draws conclusions based on a trigger, such as something someone else says that then allows him to put two and two together in ways nobody else can.

Savant syndrome often goes hand-in-hand with autism, and Highmore lives with autism on the show. About half of all people living with savant syndrome are also on the autism spectrum. Savant syndrome is much rarer than autism; only about 1% of those with developmental disabilities have savant skills.

Freddie Whats The Hardest Part Of Playing Shaun

Highmore: I had to make bold choices on how to play Shaun from the beginning, and now there has to be a consistency. Hopefully, I havent set off down the wrong path, because I cant double back now and be like, I should have done something completely different!

Tomita: Its amazing to watch you, Freddie. Ive said it before. Our No. 1 on the show really, truly is No. 1. To see you at such a young age lead this cast and crew is really quite amazing.

Is Freddie Highmore From The Good Doctor Really Autistic

October 24, 2017 at 7:26 am

TV has been taken by storm by yet another medical drama, to join Greys Anatomy and House in the big leagues. After a long drought of a good new medical, we finally have The Good Doctor. With the former Bates Motel star playing the genius autistic doctor so convincingly, fans are wondering if Freddie Highmore is autistic. Read on for all the details.

Freddie Highmores representation of the autistic Dr. Shaun Murphy is so authentic that it can sometimes confuse fans of The Good Doctor. On the show, he plays a resident surgeon at a reputable San Jose hospital. Here are all the details about the currently most-watched TV show in America.

Is Actor Freddie Highmore Autistic In Real Life

Despite his realistic portrayal of someone with autism, actor Highmore does not have the condition himself, or any other developmental disability.

Highmore had just finished five series of Bates, where he played a young Norman Bates from Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho.

Just days later he was offered the role in The Good Doctor and after initially turning it down due to just finishing a series, Highmore changed his mind and started researching Shaun’s condition.

DON’T MISS…

National Center On Disability And Journalism

The primetime ABC drama The Good Doctor follows the career and personal life of a young surgeon with autism. The title character, Dr. Shaun Murphy, is played by Freddie Highmore who does not have autism. However, Monday nights episode was unique in that a guest role featuring a character with autism was played by Coby Bird, an experienced actor with autism. This article on The Mighty by Elizabeth Cassidy describes Birds work and perspective on his character.

Paige Spara As Lea Dilallo

Paige Spara plays the role of Lea Dilallo, Dr Shaun Murphy’s love interest. When she decides to leave California to chase her dreams, she returns later and the pair decide to just be friends and roommates before becoming a couple in The Good Doctor’s later seasons.

The actress is best known for her work as Audrey Piatigorsky in the sitcom Kevin from Work and has also had a small role alongside Reese Witherspoon in Home Again. Spara also took her acting skills to the musical world, appearing in Lauv’s music video “I Like Me Better.” 

My Review Of ‘the Good Doctor’ As An Adult With Autism

September 4, 2018

This blog is by Kerry Magro, an award-winning international motivational speaker and best-selling author whos on the autism spectrum. A version of this blog originally appeared on Kerrymagro.com.

Full disclosure: After only watching one episode, I have no idea what the future is for The Good Doctor . What I can tell you: this show has all the makings of an ABC smash hit.

Lets begin with the cast. Freddie Highmore stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy, an up-and-coming surgeon who also happens to have autism and savant syndrome. This is a very difficult role for anyone to play given how broad the autism spectrum truly is. Some criticism has occurred as many TV productions and films try to address autism issues. There is no one size fits all in attempting to define characters on the spectrum. This list in recent years includes characters such as Walter Hill in Joyful Noise, Billy in the new Power Rangers Movie, Jane in Jane Wants a Boyfriend, and most recently in Sam Gardener, a high-functioning teen with autism in Netflixs Atypical.

As for the script there are several plot lines that will intrigue audiences and the direction couldnt be crisper from Seth Gordon along with the writing done by David Shore .

This show has staying power and I can only hope the creators of the show along with Sony and ABC will continue to include voices of those on the spectrum as the show continues.

Highmore Also Helps Write Produce And Direct The Show

Highmore isnt just on board as the starring actor; he plays a much bigger part in the development of the show. Highmore helps to write, produce, and direct the show as well. According to the Los Angeles Times, Highmore was approached to star in the role of Shaun Murphy just hours after his former role on Bates Motel came to a close. The Good Doctor show was developed by David Shore, who also wrote the hit show House, and Highmore was immediately wanted for the role.

Tv Representation Of Autism

Highmore says it was important that Shaun was not just someone with autism but a complete multi-dimensional person, just like any other character on television.

I appreciate the way in which Shaun is a fully formed character, Freddie told USA Today. Often, people with autism on screen have been represented as somewhat emotionless or singularly focused on one thing, and that isnt true. We get to see Shaun in moments of joy, what makes him excited, alongside the very real struggle hes facing.

In an interview with Scroll.in, Highmore talks about the challenges of playing Doctor Shaun Murphy, a genius surgeon who is an autistic savant, on The Good Doctor.

Highmore explains the playing a character that is both autistic and a genius took a lot of work. He reveals it took a lot of preparation to understand the role and how to portray Dr. Murphy on film.

Shaun Murphys role required more preparation than any other role I did on TV, he said. In terms of autism, it was important for all of us that the portrayal of the condition was authentic. Again, we had a consultant here too. David and I watched documentaries and read relevant books to help ourselves construct the character. But we were aware that Shaun is representing an individuals story and not everyone in the autism spectrum. The key was to portray his journey as an individual and not someones who just autistic.

How to stay grounded in Hollywood

About Freddie Highmore:

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