Autistic Actress playing Autistic on British Soap Opera

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Hollyoaks has announced the casting of its very first autistic actress Talia Grant.

Talia, who is vocal coach Carrie Grant's daughter, will play character Brooke Hathaway. Brooke, who is also autistic, will arrive in Hollyoaks as a school student and is fostered by the Osbornes.

The Channel 4 soap worked with The National Autistic Society to research the character and Access All Areas, a Hackney-based theatre company providing training to support the inclusion of learning disabled and autistic actors, to help with the auditioning and casting process.

Talia was chosen to play the role out of the 150 applicants who are also autistic.

Hollyoaks' first autistic actress Talia Grant has revealed nobody at school believed in her condition when she was first diagnosed - because they didn't think girls could have autism.

The teenager, who was announced as new character Brooke Hathaway in April, appeared on Loose Women today with vocal coach mum Carrie Grant to talk about her part in the Channel 4 soap.

Asked when she first thought she was 'different', Talia said: "I've always felt like that - the school didn't believe me.

"There's a spectrum so when I tell someone I have autism they're like, 'What? no you don't', because they have this idea of what autism looks like.
"I didn't know how t tell anyone, I just felt really out of it, like I was always the odd one out. I didn't even know what autism was," she went on.

The 16-year-old will make her debut as Brooke in tonight's episode, and said Hollyoaks has been nothing but supportive about making adjustments to help her cope with the pressured environment of the set.