10 Autistic characters in film & TV
Written on 10th Mar 2023 by Alex Lowery
There is still much for society to learn about autism but it has become more widely recognized in recent years, and many characters in films and TV shows have been speculated to be on the autism spectrum. Here are 10 characters who are either confirmed to be autistic or have many fans and theorists who believe they are autistic. Some of the films/shows below are ones I haven’t personally watched but definitely have fans theorizing about the characters. I have made a similar blog post before which you can view here. Today I will not be using any of the examples from that article.
1. Abed Nadir (Community): Abed is a character who is obsessed with pop culture and has difficulty with social interactions. He often struggles to understand other people’s emotions and has a tendency to take things very literally.
2. Sam Gardner (Atypical): Atypical is a series that focuses on a family with an autistic son named Sam. Sam struggles with social interaction and has specific interests that he becomes fixated on, which are both common traits in people on the autism spectrum. Sam is also confirmed to have a diagnosis in the series.
3. Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy): Drax is a character who takes things very literally and struggles with social interaction. He also has difficulty with metaphors and sarcasm, which are often challenging for those with autism. I have seen Guardians of the Galaxy myself and I can confirm I definitely see autistic traits in Drax but this is also down to his race.
4. Brick Heck (The Middle): Brick is a character who struggles with social interaction and has specific interests that he becomes fixated on. He also has a tendency to talk to himself and has difficulty with sarcasm and irony.
5. Christopher Boone (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time): Christopher is the main character in a book and plays about a teenager with autism who solves a mystery. He struggles with social interaction and has difficulty with changes in routine.
6. Saga Noren (The Bridge): Saga is a character who struggles with social interaction and has difficulty understanding other people’s emotions. She also has a tendency to take things very literally and has specific interests that she becomes fixated on.
7. Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds): Spencer is a character who struggles with social interaction and has specific interests that he becomes fixated on. He also has a tendency to take things very literally and has difficulty understanding sarcasm and irony. I have seen some episodes of this series when my mum and sisters were watching it and definitely recognized the traits.
8. Billy Cranston (Power Rangers): Billy is a character who struggles with social interaction and has specific interests that he becomes fixated on. He also has a tendency to take things very literally and has difficulty with sarcasm and irony. It’s worth noting that while many of these characters exhibit traits commonly associated with autism, they are not officially diagnosed as such.
9. Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead): Daryl is a character who struggles with social interaction and has difficulty expressing his emotions. He often communicates non-verbally and has a specific interest in hunting and survival skills, which he becomes fixated on.
10. Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo): Lisbeth is a character who struggles with social interaction and has difficulty understanding other people’s emotions. She also has a tendency to take things very literally and has specific interests that she becomes fixated on, such as hacking and computer programming.
It’s important to note that these characters are not officially diagnosed with autism, and it’s up to interpretation whether their behaviors and traits fit within the autism spectrum. However, the representation of characters who exhibit some traits associated with autism can help increase awareness and understanding of the condition.
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