Aussie comedian and creator of hit shows Please Like Me and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay Josh Thomas has been vocal about the importance of having characters who aren’t neurotypical represented in pop culture, and now the 33-year-old has taken to Instagram to confirm that he is Autistic, and has “known for a while now”.
Thomas was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder) when he was 28, but took to the grid on Easter Monday to share his autism diagnosis with his followers, saying: “I’ve decided to share this with everyone because the range of Autistic people and characters we see in the media are very slim, when the autism spectrum is huge and varied.”
“So here I am, another version of an Autistic person for people to see.”
Thomas describes “relief” at figuring out he is Autistic, explaining that: “I’ve learned to understand myself better and it’s helped people around me do the same.”
Cop the full post below:
In the past, Josh Thomas has been praised for casting an Autistic actor to play an Autistic character, with Kayla Cromer playing his character’s half-sister Matilda in Everything’s Gonna Be Okay”. Thomas told The Guardian that he auditioned neurotypical and autistic actors for the role, recalling: “I went in thinking it was more ethical, and I came out of it thinking, ‘This is just better.’ Kayla gives the character so much more authenticity.”
It’s awesome that Josh Thomas is adding to representation in the media by being open about his diagnosis, and we’re giving him so many virtual hugs since in his post he wraps it up with the caption “Not literal hugs, though.” Consider yourself digitally embraced, my man.
