Autistic character on ‘Locke and Key’ played by Autistic

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Has anyone watched Locke and Key? The show was recently renewed for a second season. After being featured on shows such as ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and “Speechless,” Coby Bird, a talented young man who is on the autism spectrum was cast as Rufus Whedon, the adopted son of Ellie Whedon and caretaker of Keyhouse Manor’s estate. Netflix’s description of “Locke and Key” is: “After their dad’s murder, three siblings move with their mom to his ancestral estate, where they discover magical keys that unlock powers — and secrets.”

While the show never says directly that Rufus is on the autism spectrum, several people within the autism community have told me how they could relate to the character. I reached out to Coby to ask him and he said, “They never say that Rufus has any disability. It is assumed but never brought up.”

Coby does a fine job in the role and I’m proud to see more and more people within our autism community pursuing acting. Growing up with autism, theater therapy was pivotal to my development when I had communication challenges and difficulties with understanding other people’s perspectives. I performed in over 20 plays, and now today as an adult, I have become an entertainment consultant, working behind the scenes to bring a realistic portrayal of autism and other disabilities to our entertainment industry. I do this job on the side while I continue my full-time job as a professional speaker, traveling the globe educating our communities on neurodiversity.