Hey fellow actors and wishful thinkers. We all have moments of weakness and none of us are perfect. Some of us have physical disabilities and some of us are mentally weaker than others…

Here’s a question from one of our Hack Hollywood members regarding his diagnosis of low level autism. The question we should all be asking is whether we are going to let doctors, parents and other influencers tell us what we are capable of or are we going to just do what we want, despite our apparent flaws?

Hacktor Question:

I have a disability. Specifically, I have high-functioning autism. While I’m not really disabled like people with full-blown autism, you can definitely tell I’m not like other people. I am a little slow socially (to the point where I prefer to avoid it because I feel out-of place), and my mind doesn’t work like a lot of people’s (I like to be in a world of my own, and a lot of times I have trouble putting my thoughts into words).
I’ve been acting on stage for most of my life (first classes at age six, started professionally performing since nine, I’m 17 now), and I’d love to take it to the next level in Hollywood. But what with a disability, I don’t know if it’s practical (you see the Hollywood obsession with perfection and people you understand).

I guess I’m asking for a thought from someone outside my own head. A cheerleader for my performing future would be nice too.

Thanks much for reading and giving thoughts.

David’s Answer:

The American Psychiatric Association has decided to remove Asperger’s Syndrome from its Diagnostic Manual. Apparently it has been extremely over diagnosed and no one can even agree what it is. It is being rolled into general autism, which will then be graded according to severity.

I myself have always felt different and somewhat socially awkward, leading to at one point, panic attacks in many public situations. I could try to get diagnosed, but as a friend of mine once said, if I find out I have some type of ‘issue’, what are you going to do then? Will you let that define you or will you strive to accomplish what you want in life despite it. Everyone has something holding them back from what they want. If nothing else, we all have fear, uncertainty, past experiences, etc. At the end of the day, these things can’t be erased. They can only be ignored in favor of pursuing our life’s calling. Life is not about results, unless you just want to compare yourself to others. Life is about moments, and it is up to us what we do and how we feel in each of these moments. So missing limbs, brain damage, racism, autism, education, nepotism, elitism, sexism, and financial constraints aside, we have to take our own shots and putting perceived obstacles in our way only handicaps us more than any external forces we may believe exist.

If someone else has to tell you what your problems are, are they really problems or are they excuses not to give it everything you’ve got?

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I Have A Disability – Should I Consider Acting As A Career?

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