Present: Bates Motel Screenwriting Debut And The Good Doctor
In 2013, Highmore voiced the title character in the animated adventure film Justin and the Knights of Valour. From 2013 to 2017, he portrayed the iconic role of Norman Bates in the A& E drama-thriller series Bates Motel, a prequel to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho that restarts the storyline in the present day. He won a People’s Choice Award in 2016 for his performance, and has received nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television , the Satellite Award for Best Actor Television Series Drama , and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series . Highmore ventured into writing and directing during his time working on the series, writing the fourth season episode “Unfaithful” and the fifth season episode “Inseparable”, and directing the fifth-season episode “The Body”.
In August 2014, it was reported that NBC had purchased a comedy pilot script written and executive produced by Highmore and Bates Motel showrunner Kerry Ehrin. In 2015, he appeared in the Libertines‘ music video for “You’re My Waterloo”. In 2016, Highmore starred in Stephen Poliakoff‘s BBC Two seven-part miniseries Close to the Enemy and Nick Hamm‘s political comedy-drama film The Journey. The following year, he began the lead role of Dr. Shaun Murphy in the ABC drama series The Good Doctor, on which he also serves as a producer and director. In 2017, he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his performance.
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.
Whos Leaving Thegood Doctor In Season 5
Antonia Thomas is leaving The Good Doctor after four seasons portraying Dr. Claire Browne. In the season 4 finale, a team from St. Bonaventure is on a surgical mission in Guatemala and Dr. Browne decides to stay with the medical team in the remote village and help the people there who are in need in a very different way.
It was a really difficult decision, and leaving is a bittersweet thing for me because the last four years have been absolutely incredible, Thomas told Deadline. After dedicating four years to Claire and her journey and really, really exploring the character, I am just now ready to try something new, ultimately.
Thomas indicated that she would love to return as a guest star in the future.
You May Like: Is The Good Doctor Actor Really Autistic
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.
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.
Also Check: What Is The Symbol For Autism
Does The Good Doctor Actor Freddie Highmore Have Autism
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?
Antonia Thomas As Dr Claire Browne
Antonia Thomas takes on The Good Doctor’s surgical resident Dr Claire Browne, who shares a close friendship with its protagonist Dr Shaun Murphy. The doctor is known for her empathy and emotional connection in the medical drama and is usually the most patient of co-workers when it comes to dealing with Dr Murphy.
The British actress made her debut in the 2010 film, Stanley Park, before going on to join the cast of science fiction comedy-drama Misfits, as the role of Alisha Daniels. Thomas has since gone on to appear in Netflix’s Lovesick, and even appeared in the music video for Coldplay’s song “Charlie Brown.”
Read Also: Levels Of Functioning Autism
Does The Good Doctor Get Autism Right
The Good Doctor | ABC
Kerry Magro, a motivational speaker and author who is also on the autism spectrum, shared her thoughts on the shows portrayal of the disorder on the Autism Speaks blog after it first premiered.
She wrote: Freddie does well in his debut, showing several characteristics that can accompany an autism diagnosis. These characteristics include things such as social awkwardness, lack of eye contact, playing with his hands during stressful situations still something I do to this day.
Dr. Arshya Vahabzadeh, a psychiatrist and autism specialist, offered a few criticisms of the show speaking especially to the difficulties of portraying varying degrees of disability through one main character.
I think its great that a program highlights a character with autism in a professional careerautism is a huge spectrum, he said. The overly robotic nature of the character we see in the show doesnt hold true for many people I know with autism.
Autism is medically called autism spectrum disorder because it varies from mild to severe. Every individual with autism displays different characteristics, challenges, and abilities.
Put simply, viewers shouldnt assume Shaun Murphy is an accurate portrayal of all people with autism. But that doesnt mean he doesnt accurately represent many common characteristics of the disorder.
Worst: Lea Tells Shaun They Can’t Be An Item
As with any serious breakup, Shaun has a tough time finding his bearings after things end with Carly, at one point solemnly asking Park , “How do you move on?” After coming to terms with everything Carly said, Shaun concludes that while he loves both Lea and Carly, he loves Lea more . Taking Carly’s advice, he declares his feelings to Lea, who replies with an absolutely crushing response. In one of the most heartbreaking and controversial scenes of “The Good Doctor,” Lea tells Shaun that although she also loves him, they can’t be together. He calls her out on it, pressing, “You don’t want to be my girlfriend because I have autism?” A stunned Lea can’t even respond, instead walking away and leaving both of them in tears.
One of the most divisive scenes in the series, this brutal moment of truth for Shaun and Lea opened the doorway for some frank and nuanced discussions of a reality that many autistic individuals face when dating. Some fans found Lea’s behavior despicable, lamented the pressure to put the pairing together, or worried that Shaun wasn’t given time to process the loss of his relationship with Carly. On the other hand, many praised the “realistic portrayal” and Lea’s honest expression of her fears with someone she cares about so deeply. But no matter which side you fall on, the episode was undeniably emotional.
Don’t Miss: Best Dog For Autism
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.
Read Also: Overwatch Symmetra Autistic
Best: Shaun And Lea’s First Kiss
Shaun and Lea have always seemed able to understand each other like no one else on “The Good Doctor.” When Shaun’s efforts to become more independent from his pseudo-dad Dr. Glassman were initially met with pushback, Lea always had her friend’s back. After encouraging Shaun to take a necessary self-care day complete with plenty of tequila and karaoke, Lea teaches Shaun “the proper way to end a date,” complete with a sweet first kiss that might have turned into a second one if all that booze hadn’t send him running for the bathroom .
The charming moment was warmly received by fans, who praised the pairing’s undeniable chemistry on Twitter. As “The Good Doctor” fan Dáquan wrote, “I could not get enough of Shaun and Leah! From Shaun opening up about his family to their kiss. Well done, #TheGoodDoctor.” Fans also loved that Shaun’s autism doesn’t seem to matter to Lea, who later reinforced her sincerity when she told him she would kiss him again if she had brushed her teeth. For a guy who once declared “I don’t understand why having someone to love is so important to everyone,” it’s delightful to see him connecting with a friend who genuinely adores him.
Also Check: Is Level 1 Autism High Functioning
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.
Best: Lea And Shaun Decide They’re Ready To Be Parents
“The Good Doctor” has never made things easy for Shea. Just as the pair’s new romance is emerging from the challenges of the pandemic lockdown, they’re hit with a fresh challenge when Lea unexpectedly learns she’s pregnant. Both want to be parents together someday, but they struggle with doubts over whether it’s the right time. Above all, they’re completely committed to one another, and Shaun is fully on board for whatever Lea decides. After spending time with the decision, the pair decide to terminate the pregnancy . But as Lea’s name is called for her appointment, she realizes she’s not sure there will ever be a right time to start a family and the pair embrace, deciding to face the challenge of parenthood together.
While it seemed unlikely that such a responsible guy would be slapdash about birth control and some fans found the storyline a little too predictable, many felt Shaun and Lea’s relationship was layered enough to not be too clichéd. As one Reddit user put it, “I kinda dislike that they went with the ‘go to abortion clinic and change mind’ trope because its a major ‘safe for tv’ move.” On the other hand, many fans praised Sparo’s and Highmore’s performances as a young couple struggling with such a heavy decision, just one of many reasons this episode earned one of the highest IMDb ratings of the series.
Recommended Reading: What Kind Of Autism Does Symmetra Have
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.
Zammy Releases Killer New Single Bussin Flights
Having a child changes everything, Glassman guarantees. He speaks as a father who has loved and lost his daughter. Parenthood is a constant mix of worry and wonder, of ferocious love over fear. Dr. Browne plays confidant and friend for both parents, wisely advising them to tackle the big decisions and work down to the small stuff.
Christian Clemenson gives a piercing portrayal as Dr. Chambers, a storied surgeon who doesnt care if anyone sleeps until he regains his right-hand function. Dr. Enrique Guerin tells Chambers that he was the first-year residents inspiration for becoming a doctor with his life-saving work in Haiti. Chambers only response is to dress down the students attire. The patient goes to battle with The Good Doctor when Shaun points out that he shows several markers in behavior on the ASD scale. Chambers gives a steely stare at Murphy with his Teeny Blue Eyes, attempting to prove that he does make eye contact. Still, Shaun knows what he knows and he knows what he sees. The team goes to work on the treatment and settles on a radio graft, proposed by Claire.
Also Check: Is Dr Shaun Murphy Really Autistic
The Good Doctorwhich Premiered Monday On Abc Is Your Standard Hospital Procedural
This allows the show to constantly juxtapose. This tv show is definitely one of the kind as. Hes also a producer on the good doctor, wrote the season two premiere and directed another episode. Shaun murphy is not an abrasive misanthrope like dr. The shows biggest battle isnt that american audiences wont connect we all love a good medical drama its that it has to finely walk the path of making their autistic lead character not fall victim stereotypes. The good doctor himself, dr shaun murphy, is a surgical trainee with excellent memory recall and attention to detail who faces stigma but often saves absolute numbers of autistic doctors practising in the profession are unknown. Its pretty remarkable that an average 17.4 million people have been tuning in each week to watch a character with autism. Shaun murphy, an autistic young doctor with savant syndrome. Whilst some doctors see him as having deficits, others see him as remarkably gifted. Shaun murphy from the good doctor. The good doctor on abc is about a young autistic doctor, shaun murphy, who leaves his rural life to join a big hospital in san jose. I have autism, its part of who i am.. Murphy is the classic white cis male.