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Is The Good Doctor Actor Really Autistic

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Does The Good Doctor Actor Freddie Highmore Have Autism

The Good Doctor – Shaun and the Autistic Community

The Good Doctor was one of the most-watched shows for the 2017-2018 season. It follows the life of Shaun Murphy , a young surgeon who lives with autism and savant syndrome. Murphy was hired by the hospital against the wishes of most doctors, but one doctor, Dr. Aaron Glassman, took a chance on him. Murphy uses his developmental disabilities to help treat patients but does the actor live with autism in real life?

Freddie Highmore As Dr Shaun Murphy

Freddie Highmore takes on the role of The Good Doctor’s protagonist, Dr Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgical resident. The young doctor’s savant abilities include the ability to photographic recall and the ability to note minute details and changes in his patients, which are often intertwined with flashbacks to his teen years .

While he’s all grown up now, fans may remember Highmore for his role as Charlie in the 2005 Tim Burton classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The English actor later earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Norman Bates in the psychological thriller series, Bates Motel. As well as taking on The Good Doctor and Bates Motel’s title characters, Highmore has written, produced and directed episodes for both shows.

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.

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About Freddie Highmore:

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The Good Doctor Actor Is He Really Autistic

The Good Doctor Actor Is He Really Autistic. Is actor freddie highmore autistic in real life? I would say that he does a very good dramatic representation.

In the new york post, he said he knows someone with autism but he also did research and watched. It follows the life of shaun murphy , a young surgeon who lives with autism and savant. 17 2020, updated 4:50 p.m. That said, freddie did a lot of research and worked with an autistic consultant to help with his tv series role. He is special and brilliantbut his challenges are extraordinary.

Coby Bird Actor With Autism Paving The Way For Actors With Disabilities

The Good Doctor: Is actor Freddie Highmore autistic in ...

For the past four years, Bird has trained with Los Angeles theater company The Miracle Project, an award-winning theater program for children and teens on the autism spectrum.

Kudos to the show for hiring a person with autism to portray a person with autism, said Elaine Hall, executive director of The Miracle Project.

Just five percent of characters with disabilities in primetime television are portrayed by actors with disabilities the rest are played by an actor pretending to have a disability.

There is an enormous untapped potential of individuals with disabilities who are talented actors to play their own roles as people with disabilities, Hall said. We hope that showrunners will continue to collaborate and develop this talent pool through these opportunities.

Last year, Bird also guest starred on an episode of Speechless as a character with autism.

Bird is represented by Gail Ford Williamson of the Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin Diversity Department. Williamson represents more than 300 performers with disabilities.

Coby is a wonderful young actor on the spectrum who has won the hearts of casting directors and producers, Williamson said. He often auditions for roles that casting is looking for adults to play, but once they see Cobys skills, they have no problem hiring a minor and accepting the extra expense and limited work day.

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Portrayal Of Autism On The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor has the opportunity to showcase multiple with autism at different places on the spectrum to show the true diversity. One such possibility would be showing the hospital becoming a Project SEARCH site, which also would be a great way to hire actual actors with autism.

Project SEARCH is a one-year, school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. This innovative, business-led model features total workplace immersion, which facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration and work site-based training and support. Unlike other many other transition programs, Project SEARCH boasts a 70 percent success employment rate following the program.

I am confident that The Good Doctor will continue do much more than merely entertain although it is highly entertaining, Hall said. I believe it could change the way the world perceives disability.

Indeed, there are successful surgeons with autism and other disabilities in the real world and ABC has highlighted this in a 20/20 presentation, including Dr. Tyler Sexton, a pediatrician with cerebral palsy. ABC used the short segment on Sexton, and profiles on other doctors with disabilities, as companion pieces to the show.

It also is important to note that several of the visual effects artists hired for the show are on the autism spectrum.

The series airs on Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

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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

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Charlie And The Chocolate Factory And The Spiderwick Chronicles

In 2005, he portrayed the main role of Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton‘s musical fantasy film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, adapted from the book of the same name by Roald Dahl. He was reportedly recommended by co-star Johnny Depp, with whom Highmore had worked in Finding Neverland Depp had been impressed by the young actor’s performance and thus put his name forward for the role. Highmore had not seen the original 1971 version of the film, and decided not to see it until he was done filming so his portrayal of Charlie would not be influenced. For his role, he again won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and was awarded the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent. Highmore also lent his voice to the film’s accompanying video game of the same name.

The Good Doctor: One Autistic’s Review

Freddie Highmore Discusses “The Good Doctor”

Maxfield Sparrow

Freddie Highmore as “The Good Doctor” | photo via IMDB[image: Young white man with short dark hair and dark eyes,wearing a surgeon’s cap, with a surgical mask around his neck.
  • 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.

inside

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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.

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Hill Harper As Dr Marcus Andrews

American actor Hill Harper portrays Dr Marcus Andrews in The Good Doctor, an attending surgeon who specialises in plastic surgery and later goes on to become the hospital’s president.

Prior to securing his status in the acting world, Harper earned degrees from Brown University and Harvard Law School. In 1993, he made his acting debut in and went on to star in The Vast, City of Angels, The Handler and CSI: NY.

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The Show Has Been Praised For Its Portrayal Of Both Autism And Savant Syndrome

Autism is difficult to act out because every person with autism is a bit different. There is no one size fits all for the disorder. But Highmores portrayal of the character has been praised for its gentleness and accuracy. He took home a Golden Globe for the role, and those on the spectrum have also suggested he did a good job with his character. A blogger named Kerry Magro once with Autism Speaks and said Highmore does well in his debut, showing several characteristics that can accompany an autism diagnosis. The Good Doctor is currently in its second season. There is no word yet on whether or not the show will have third season, but ABC appears to have seen major success from the show.

Criticism Moves The Needle Only Slightly

The Good Doctor Actor Autistic In Real Life

The most positive thing I could say about Atypical as autistic representation is the most damning thing I can say about its entertainment value: Sam wasnt treated that much differently from any of the other characters. Usually autistic characters are the only ones who are handled from external and distanced perspectives and come across as not-quite-human, but everyone was a little hollow here. Their big moments often felt forced. They all moved from plot point to plot point and from pathos to comedy with few punches or punchlines landing.

I was similarly not surprised but disappointed by the response that Atypical received. Most of the professional reviews I read praised the show in ways which belied how underqualified the critics were to address autistic stories. At least one outlet actively recruited autistic sourcesincluding mefor an Atypical-pegged article on representation. But at least one other major outlet hired a non-autistic parent of an autistic child to write about what the show did and didnt get right about autism. I had a lot of non-autistic people tell me that they loved the show. I even had a few try to explain to me why I was wrong, saying that the series had expanded their understanding of autistic people, when I tried to explain why many of us were not fans.

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He Began Adapting The Series And In 2015 Eventually Shopped It To Cbs His Home Network

The good doctor is an american medical drama television series based on the 2013 south korean series of the same name.actor daniel dae kim noticed the original series and bought the rights for his production company. He is treated with the same humanity as his coworkers which is a big leap forward in equal representation of people with disabilities in the media. So, when abc announced one of their new programs, the good doctor, was going to focus on an autistic surgeon, i doubtfully raised an eyebrow. 17 2020, updated 4:50 p.m. The magical doctor’s uncanny ability is due to his being autistic and having savant skills. Shaun murphy, a surgical resident with autism. Richard schiff : Freddie does lots of research and works closely with. Abc’s the good doctor cast talk about what they have learned about autism during the first season of the show.to get the full picture of what #autism is, vis. The good doctor is really just a typical medical drama with a twist: In real life, freddie does not have autism. With the former bates motel star playing the genius autistic doctor so convincingly, fans are wondering if freddie highmore is autistic. This is a very difficult role for anyone to play given how broad the autism spectrum truly is.

And for those unfamiliar with autism, television roles like highmore’s can offer a glimpse into life with the disorder.

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.”

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Gradual If Insufficient Improvement Across The Entertainment Landscape

While Atypical had to be dragged a short distance from its suboptimal starting line, autistic people were finally starting to see some improvement elsewhere in television. Even The Good Doctor managed to add slightly more autistic creative input into their mix. Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby started openly discussing her recent autism diagnosis in the wake of Nanettes success and made autism a key focus of her next show, the hilarious and poignant Douglas. The delightful Everythings Gonna Be Okay, which features autistic actor Kayla Cromer playing a queer autistic character, premiered on Freeform in January 2020. Creator and star Josh Thomas was later diagnosed as autistic himself. The new season of Special, the Netflix series about a gay man with cerebral palsy starring and written by Ryan OConnell, features an autistic love interest played by queer autistic actor Buck Andrews. The finale also features a throwaway joke in which the main characters clueless colleague tells him, with patronizing sincerity, I just binged Atypical and I feel like I finally get you.

Coverage of these shows still has its problems, too. But the small victories that were experiencing matter. Even this piece, this opportunity that I have as an autistic writer to explore the impact of Atypical as more than a laundry list of what I think it did and didnt get right about autism, is a sliver of progress.

Autism And Savant Syndrome Often Go Hand

‘The Good Doctor’ Star Freddie Highmore On Responsibility Of Showing Autism Authentically

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.

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My Thoughts On The Good Doctor As An Autistic Person

People sometimes ask me whether I like the show The Good Doctor. If you havent heard of it, it is a show about a young autistic man who becomes a surgical resident at a hospital. I have been watching it since the first episode came out last year.

Whenever there is a show or movie featuring an autistic character, everyone always debates whether the show portrays autism realistically or not. My answer to that is, it is impossible to say for sure, because autism is so different for everyone who experiences it.

Some people who are familiar with autism have criticized The Good Doctor because he is not only autistic but has savant skills. He can perfectly visualize the organs of the body and how they work together, and often comes up with unexpected solutions that save the day. Critics complain that it will make people assume all autistic people have savant skills, like how the original famous autistic character, Rain Man, made people assume all autistic people can instantly tell you how many toothpicks you spilled on the floor. On the other hand, when shows or movies portray autistic people as having severe disabilities, people get mad that it will cause viewers to assume that everyone with autism is nonverbal or needs full time assistance.

That being said, I do identify with a lot of the things Shaun Murphy goes through.

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