In the show, Bess is trying to get over her insecurities and discover where she fits in the music world. Kevin Valdez draws on personal experience to play a neurodiverse character on a new Apple TV Plus show. The showrunners were having trouble finding the perfect person to play Louie, so one day, they contacted the program director of Futures Explored, a film and media workshop that seeks to find film-related jobs for people with disabilities, and sent her a casting call that she told her students at the Sacramento branch to try out for. A big concern for Valdez was how he'd handle dialogue-heavy scenes. What’s Bizarre About the 2020 Tony Nominations? The two-time Olivier winner sings hits from. The Premier Source for Developmental Disability News, https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2020/07/24/actor-with-autism-at-center-of-new-show/28656/. "I was so pleased with how far we've come that Apple was so supportive of finding an autistic actor to play this role," Nelson says. View this article online at https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2020/07/24/actor-with-autism-at-center-of-new-show/28656/. Nanette, a Netflix special from autistic Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby, became a sensation when it debuted in 2018. "And those became my people." "If I'm lucky," he adds, "I may get her autograph.". "At the time I made that movie, I was not allowed to cast an actor with a disability in the lead," says Nelson, Little Voice's lead writer, director and executive producer. The show became available Friday, and a new episode will debut every Friday thereafter until all nine are live. "Whenever changes came by, they knew to inform me first so I got all of the information.". And there still are few actors on the autism spectrum who are playing non-autistic roles. The aim was to make the set as calm and relaxed as possible. It took me years and years and years to convince people that this was a story worth telling.". PLEASE KEEP YOUR REMARKS BRIEF AND REFRAIN FROM INSERTING LINKS. By Ruthie Fierberg, Ryan McPhee, Dan Meyer | 10/15/2020. KV: My acting career started out in local theater productions. Some of those stories may not be fairy tales. Valdez plays Louie who’s obsessed with Broadway musicals and is struggling to adjust to his new living situation in a group home without his sister. The show features original music from Bareilles. In fact, about 81% of adults with autism, intellectual and/or developmental differences don't have a paid job at all, according to the National Core Indicators study published in 2018. Little Voice's production team contacted Futures Explored during its efforts to cast Louie. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows for Bess and the other characters in Little Voice. "Should we get a second season, I can't wait for Kevin's character to evolve," she says. At the center is Bess, a singer-songwriter who's juggling her fledgling music career with odd jobs and taking care of her friends and family -- including her beloved brother, Louie. The percentage "falls monumentally short of reality," the advocacy group said in November, but it's still an all-time high. He has Asperger's Syndrome, which is at the high-functioning end of the spectrum.) Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts “I believe that as an autistic person, I have this motivation to support people with autism,” said Valdez who was diagnosed with the developmental disorder at 22 months old. In the 2019 to 2020 broadcast TV season, the number of series regular characters with a disability increased slightly to 3.1% from 2.1% in the previous season, according to a study by GLAAD. Get the latest developmental disability news from Disability Scoop sent straight to your inbox. The October 16 event will include a Q&A moderated by director Thomas Kail and a special performance. They were never playing themselves.”. That role was played by non-autistic actor, Sean Penn. "He's really similar to me," Valdez says. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the response to treatment. Robert Falls directed the 1999 Tony-winning production of the Arthur Miller classic. Adults with autism are up to four times more likely than others to have chronic physical health conditions, new research suggests, and lifestyle factors don't appear to be the reason why. (Apple). The New York Times called Little Voice "a twee musical fairy tale," while Rolling Stone dubbed it "charming" and said it "feels like a love letter to a seemingly ancient New York where live music is everywhere." "We'd seen hundreds of gentlemen before we met Kevin," Nelson says. J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot company produced Little Voice. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. "They're going through all of the challenges of navigating adulthood that anyone would go through with the added challenge of being autistic and having some perceived stereotypes held against them at the get-go.". © 2020 Disability Scoop, LLC. But people with disabilities are also battling for representation, rallying for corporations and the public to respect their needs. After Valdez's initial Skype audition, he flew to New York for an in-person meeting in July 2019. It was there that I first got told that I inspired somebody with my performance, and that made me want to try and solidify my name in showbiz even more. In the Apple TV Plus show Little Voice, Louie King -- played by actor Kevin Valdez (left) -- adjusts to life in a group home for people on the autism spectrum. Then Futures Explored recommended Valdez audition. © 2008-2020 Disability Scoop, LLC. Many have great talents and could be an asset to mankind if they’re given the opportunity. Louie also lives in a home for people on the autism spectrum Forced to adhere to guidelines for his own safety, he struggles with sticking to the rules and often speaks his mind without regard for another person's situation or feelings. While growing up in Ripon, California, the performer discovered his passion for acting in elementary school and dreamed about making it big in Hollywood. This is your last free article this month. "So I was in this preschool with all children on the spectrum or different disabilities," Nelson says. The show focuses on a 20-something musician in New York, trying to figure out where she belongs. When these moments do happen in the script, I try to think of those times I had where I wasn’t so perfect and use them as an inspiration. They provide comic relief, something the New York Times criticized. ASD is manifested in a variety of ways, but many people on the spectrum have trouble communicating with others and understanding emotions. That's changing, albeit gradually. And those with autism can relate a lot of what Louie does because of how realistic they had me portray him.". What do you think of the current state of neuro-inclusivity is in the media? 16 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch On Stage From Home, The Playbill Weekend Streaming Guide: What to Watch October 16-18. The 21-year-old actor isn't obsessed with Broadway, but he and Louie are both on the autism spectrum. The two women previously collaborated on hit Broadway show Waitress. Brittany O'Grady and Kevin Valdez act on the set of Little Voice, the latest original from Apple TV Plus. Movies. Disney's Pixar has released a couple of short films with autistic characters, and even Sesame Street has an autistic Muppet, named Julia. "People sometimes hesitate to cast uniquely able actors or actors on the spectrum, thinking it will slow the process down," Nelson says. “I was so pleased with how far we’ve come that Apple was so supportive of finding an autistic actor to play this role. 4.6k members in the AppleTVPlus community. But with “Little Voice,” Nelson is thrilled that the role of Louie is being playing by a neurodiverse actor, Valdez. He needs to learn to change, just like other people have to change to understand him. There are complicated love interests, an alcoholic musician father and a friend coming to grips with her own identity. He "nailed it," Nelson says. One of those sisters, Matilda, is on the autism spectrum and is played by Kayla Cromer, who is also on the spectrum. With a lot of work and training, people will figure out that they aren’t different from them in most ways and with the proper treatments, they’ll be able to assimilate in the general world.

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