Atypical is a Netflix series that centers around Sam, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome. The show follows Sam and other characters as they navigate high school, relationships, and life in general. In addition to portraying autism, the show also explores LGBTQ relationships, impaired family dynamics, and more.
While the show has been praised for its ability to touch on heavy topics while still maintaining its humor, the credibility of the show to accurately portray autism has been called into question. For starters, the lead of the show, Keir Gilchrist, who plays Sam, a character with autism, is not actually on the spectrum himself. This naturally comes with some questions about his ability to accurately reflect the life of someone living with Asperger's. Here's everything on what Keir and the crew of Atypical did to prepare for the show.
8 What Is Atypical?
Atypical is a Netflix original show that first premiered in 2017. The show spans 4 seasons and follows the main character Sam, as well as the other members of his family, as they navigate the ups and downs of everyday life. Through these challenges, the Netflix show attempts to debunk myths about Asperger's syndrome, starting with the idea that those with autism are not interested in romantic relationships. This misconception was also tackled by another show, Love on the Spectrum, showing just how prevalent the stereotype is.
In 2020, the show was approved for a 4th season, and at the same time it was also decided that season 4 would be the show's final season. For the 4 seasons it ran, the show starred Keir Gilchrist as the lead alongside Brigette Lundy-Paine, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Rappaport, and more.
7 Who Is Keir Gilchrist?
Keir Gilchrist is an American actor best known for portraying Sam in Atypical. In addition to that role, he's also starred in other TV shows such as The United States of Tara and other film productions, such as It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010), It Follows (2014), and The Good Neighbor (2016). With all of these roles under his belt, Keir has managed to amass a net worth of $5 million, ranking high in comparison to some of his other Atypical co-stars.
6 How Did Keir Prepare For The Role Of Sam?
As mentioned, despite Keir taking on a role where he is playing a character with autism, he is not on the spectrum himself. This has garnered some criticism, but the actor did put some research into making his best role so convincing. He has said that to begin, he and the director of the show, Robia Rashid, sat down for a few hours and had a conversation about how best to approach the role.
Rashid recommended some books and memoirs for Keir to read, including a 2012 memoir by David Finch called The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Keir said, “That book was super helpful, super well-written, and really pushes you in the headspace of a high-functioning person who’s on the spectrum." Finch also did come on as a consultant for the show before its second season.
Keir also had to learn to act in a new way. He said, "While working I was constantly working against my instincts. Didn't really make much eye contact with people. What I'm used to is engaging with the people that I'm in the scene with. Sam, he engages for sure, but it's in a different way."
5 Did Keir Take Any Inspiration From Other Actors?
While Keir did rely on written materials to help him with his role, he didn't want to actually watch someone portray a character with autism through movies or shows. He said, “I think if you do that, it’s easy to start mimicking someone else, and that’s not how I approach acting.”
4 Has Keir Played A Role Like This Before?
While Keir has never played a character with autism before his role on Atypical, he did portray a character that is not entirely different from Sam when he starred in Showtime's United States of Tara. In that series, Keir again plays a high school student, and the show explores the perspective of someone living with a disability. His character in the series is the son of a woman with dissociative identity disorder.
Keir has said that he can also relate to Sam in other ways, referencing the 'outsider' struggles that Sam faces in high school. Keir said, “I feel like being an outsider is something a lot of people can relate to. I was the one who came to school wearing bondage pants and a studded jacket. I always stood out and kids always would yell at me in the halls and whatever and just thought I was weird. A lot of people can feel that way in high school.”
3 How Is Autism Portrayed In The Show?
Atypical places a specific focus on the overwhelming sensory overload that many individuals with autism experience. To do this, the show used visual effects, editing techniques, and first-person voiceovers in an attempt to portray what Sam is experiencing, which help make sense of his reaction to being overloaded by external stimuli.
Keir discussed this idea in his interview with Variety, saying, "With Sam, his senses spiral all over the place, so we try to incorporate visually what is going on in his brain. We’ll show slow-motion close-ups of people’s mouths moving, fluorescent lights flickering, which is the way people on the [autism] spectrum often describe what’s happening when things become too much. In those kinds of scenes, I try to put myself in positions to which anyone can relate — getting bullied at school or getting overwhelmed with a partner. But with Sam, he becomes a little more frightened."
2 Did The Show Have Any Autistic Representation?
Atypical might have fell short on autistic representation, though. The fact that the main character of the show is not on the spectrum lends to criticism in and off itself, especially since, according to the official Twitter account for Atypical, autistic actors did audition to play Sam. Producers ultimately decided that Keir was "best for the role".
While a full-time consultant was brought on, the supporting cast didn't have much representation either. In fact, the entire original cast only consisted of one person with autism, in addition to one on the social media team. By season two, other actors with autism were brought onto the show, including Domonique Brown for the role of Jasper, and Layla Weiner for the role of Amber.
While not an actual actor, the artist who created Sam's drawings for the show is also on the spectrum. Michael Richey White joined the show in its second season.
1 Did The Show Get Involved With Any Autism Causes?
The Atypical cast and crew did work with organizations within the autism space throughout the show. For example, for season two, the show looked to the neurodiverse performance program The Miracle Project to help them cast autistic actors to play Sam’s peers. Further, they worked with Exceptional Minds, which is an organization that provides training and employment services for people with autism in animations in order to hire animators and VFX professionals.
They cast also participated in community outreach, such as a town hall about being Black and autistic in the US in partnership with The Color of Autism.