Do lot of neurodiverse people go into showbiz?

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Is there a lot or any common amount of neurodiverse people (things like ASD or ADHD, still also including mental or emotional disorders at any level of functioning) that decide to go into the entertainment industry, especially wanting to become an actor or actress? Did anyone on here choose this path and can tell me their experience with it for the business and also their diagnosis?

I suppose it depends on how broad your definition of Show Business is. I got into radio as a teen, in an entirely fortuitous accident, and made it my career for over 30 years. Being a disc jockey is certainly not like working onstage, or in front of cameras, but that's what made it perfect for me - I got to do what was essentially stand-up comedy day after day, without having to face my live audience directly, or deal with hecklers (well, there were a few, but you can always hang up on them).

So, I was spared the pressure of performing in front of people, I got to stand in a closed studio alone, playing music, stimming and essentially talking to myself (except during live "remotes," which I hated - the anxiety was incapacitating, I had to hide behind trees and dumpsters to do my breaks); it also allowed me a tremendous freedom to be creative - I won numerous awards for advertising copywriting and voiceover characterization, playing the fool to an empty room and a multitrack recorder. As for actual acting, however, my experience is limited to elementary school plays.

I'm sure you're aware there are a few people in Hollywood who have publicly spoken about their ASDs - for a long time, people thought Dan Ackroyd was joking about having Asperger Syndrome, but he has reiterated on several occasions that he was diagnosed at the age of nine. If you pay attention, you can see that smiling is a bit unnatural for him - he does it when it's appropriate, but it's not his default facial expression. He also has the somewhat monotone vocal delivery that is stereotypical for Aspergians - used to advantage playing Elwood in The Blues Brothers, but also very noticeable as Ray Stantz in Ghostbusters and especially reprising Joe Friday in Dragnet. You'll also notice Dan's sense of humor tends to the dry and cerebral, rather than the broad and slapstick, like his old friend John Belushi.

Daryl Hannah is another well-known High Functioning Hollywood Autistic (Splash, Kill Bill). You'll notice the Aspies in Tinseltown don't seem to make a habit of grabbing the red carpet spotlights and such. they appear to be more the kind of "do the job and go home" sort, which is exactly what you'd expect from individuals who find socializing to be emotionally draining.

I know there are more, those two are easiest for me to remember because they're of my own generation, but now that ASDs are much more commonly diagnosed, I'm sure there are others. Seems there was a major beauty pageant winner a few years back who made a point of highlighting her AS, but I forget her name.