Actor with aspergers!

Post Reply New Topic

Am I the only one who thinks that the actor Val Kilmer might have Asperger's or be on the spectrum? He's very quirky at times in interviews etc....?

What do you think? I also suspect that Jeff Goldblum might have a touch of Asperger's as well.

I disagree

No idea, but I have heard it said of Nic Cage and Darryl Hannah (I don't know if it's true.)

Dan Aykroyd mentioned being diagnosed at one point.

I think the niche actors would be the most likely to have it. It seems unlikely that someone who has difficulty understanding non-verbal communication would thrive in an industry that demands a wide range of it.

As a director who a) has Asperger's Syndrome and b) has worked with Aspies in front of my camera, I disagree... Because we don't have those micro-expressions inherently, we do not have to counter them to make a believable performance. All those things that ear mark the act of lying are absent so only one action has to come through.

I think Aspies are supposed to make good actors (and writers) and I've also heard of acting classes being recommended for Aspies, although I can't remember the exact reason.

Acting is a craft and a skill and Aspies are good craftspeople. I think no one would work harder to get a role right.

Acting doesn't require good lying skills ? I guess I had it all wrong.

2 things... I said nothing about lying skills... I addressed MICRO-EXPRESSIONS... we lack them... that is part of why NTs have problems reading us... THEREFORE, aspie actors don't have to overcome them and can produce a believable performance a tad bit easier...

and acting isn't lying... it's pretending... really well... and most of us CAN do that VERY well

I'm kind of fascinated with micro expressions. It's interesting to freeze frame the TV sometimes (during non fiction shows) and try to read them. It's especially interesting in a crime documentary, when the accused is being interviewed.

I don't know if they could be learned or faked, I wonder if really good actors try to do that? I didn't know Aspies had no micro expressions. That's interesting.

Acting is interesting. The actor lets go of the actual surrounding of the movie set and puts themselves into the fictional surrounding as if it were real. I love actors.

Not all of us lack them, but a good many skip from micro to macro pretty easily

Really interesting, thanks.

I wonder if that would make an Aspie a better spy or harder to give away their undercover police work or something. Micro expressions can often give the game away.

I believe it would actually be a detriment to have one of us in that Role... our odd behaviors would call attention to us

Who else on SNL could think of a skit like the Super-Bass-O-Matic?

I've read a lot of these lists, and a lot of the time there doesn't seem to be direct evidence.

Vincent D'Onofrio (and one of his children, apparently)
Daryl Hannah, from many many sources, seems to be. In interviews, she doesn't behave like everyone else, and in interviews the descriptions I've seen her give of herself do definitely match AS. I don't know of anywhere where she says directly that she's autistic, but I believe that she is.

I've seen Dan Aykroyd mention it himself in a TV interview. He said he had a touch of Tourrete's and signs of Asperger's. It came off slightly speculative to me so I'm not sure if he was diagnosed Tourrete's and considered Asperger's on his own.

Paddy Considine has Aspergers.