Does autistic masking translate to acting? Can an autistic person survive in the acting world? What is the 'autistic' stereotype in the film industry?

In this episode of the Thoughty Auti Podcast, Thomas Henley talks to Reggie Herold - A Manhattan based autistic actor who has performed in many theatre productions and short-films, he's an avid Tiktoker, an aspiring story writer, and the co-winner of 'Outstanding Ensemble' category at the New York Innovative Awards.

They kick off this riveting conversation with a dive into the world of autistic Tiktok creators, touching briefly on the challenging and strange experience of masking in highly social environments. 

Being diagnosed at an extremely young age, Reggie tells us about his upbringing with his single father, as one of two adopted sons. Introduced to the world of education in a 'school for the gifted', Reggie talks about his transition from that school to a more wholesome environment, the physical abuse he received from a teacher, and how it all inspired him to write 'This Is Purple' - a screen play about those experiences.

Both Thomas and Reggie dive deep into their psyches, pulling on the previous life experiences that attracted them to life in the public eye. Reggie found comfort in the immediate feedback of theatre productions, where as Thomas found great meaning in the possibility of sharing his experiences.

Pondering over the difficulties of being autistic in a people-heavy profession, Reggie explains what life on set is really like, the social skills he developed, and the coping strategies he's picked up on his journey. 

Here are the HOT questions: 

- Is it easier to play an autistic character or a neurotypical one?

- What stereotypes stop Reggie from playing autistic roles?

The answer? You'll have to find out in this absolutely spectacular podcast!

If you have an exciting or interesting story and want to appear on the next podcast, please contact me at: [email protected]

Reggie's Links:-

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/reggieherold/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@reggieherold?lang=en

Website - https://www.reggieherold.com/

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♫ Listen On

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6vjXgCB7Q3FwtQ2YqPjnEV

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thoughty-auti-the-autism-mental-health-podcast/id1470689079

Music -

♫ Track: [Chill Music] Ikson - Reverie [No Copyright Music]