10 Celebrities on the Autistic Spectrum

On April 2, World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated, a condition that is not separate from others, such as Asperger’s syndrome or generalized developmental disorders. On the contrary, the “spectrum” is understood as a range of symptoms, strengths and degrees of involvement that vary from person to person. Therefore, when we speak of autism, we must refer to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The characteristics of a different development prevail throughout a person’s life, irrespective of sex, ideologies or economic positions, being an advantage for some and a disadvantage for others.

At the awesome.club we were surprised to find ten celebrities who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, some even into adulthood, and we want to share this information with you in this post.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Welsh actor, director and producer, known worldwide for playing Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, has Asperger’s, and incredibly didn’t realize it until he was 70. He made his diagnosis public in a very casual and quiet way to The Desert Sun newspaper, in which he took the opportunity to clarify that his condition would never be an impediment to his work, although even at this point in his life he still wonders if that’s what it should be doing.

The Scottish singer who rocked the world after her incredible musical performance on Britain’s Got Talent, as well as releasing the UK’s best-selling debut album of all time, has Asperger’s and an above-average IQ. Boyle was diagnosed in adulthood, specifically in 2012, which was a relief for her. The singer was scarred for much of her life by a misdiagnosis after birth, believing that, having been deprived of oxygen, due to complications in childbirth, she had a learning disability.

The uninhibited American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress, known for her band Hole and widely remembered for being the wife of Kurt Cobain, has autism and was diagnosed at age 9 after having difficulty making friends. Love spoke about her diagnosis and other very personal matters to SPIN Magazine in 1995.

This American professional surfer, famous for his unique way of catching the waves with a “double-joint” spin, was quickly recognized as the first participant to score a perfect 10 twice in NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) history. In the movie Clay Marzo: Just Add Water2009, he talks about his Asperger diagnosis.

The creator of the NBC series Community and co-creator of animation production Rick and Morty discovered he was on the spectrum thanks to Abed, one of the characters in Community. In particular, it was because of research into his conception that he discovered it. Harmon has a very particular “ritual” to shape his creations, he even calls them embryos and takes the research of each characteristic that defines them very seriously. In Abed’s case, the more he asked about Asperger’s, the more familiar his behavior felt. When it became obvious, Harmon went to the doctor, who confirmed his diagnosis in 2011.

The 19-year-old Danish model is rocking the catwalks for not being an “ordinary” girl. Nina Marker used her stance to speak frankly about what modeling with Asperger’s involves. She was diagnosed at the age of 15 after experiencing many problems at school and in her personal life. Marker hopes her experience and that of others will broaden other people’s understanding of autism. She currently works for Stella McCartney and Chanel.

Patrick George Considine, better known as Paddy Considine, is an English actor, musician, director and screenwriter. He acted in films like The Bourne Ultimatum and Çoccult rhymes. In 2011, he revealed that he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 36. Furthermore, in 2013, he was also diagnosed with a rare eye disease called Mears-Irlen syndrome.

The 16-year-old Swedish student and activist has been recognized for her participation in student strikes to raise awareness of climate change. On March 14, 2019, three Norwegian politicians proposed to nominate Greta for the Nobel Peace Prize, not only because of the impact of her fight against climate change, but also for helping to avoid future military conflicts, given the lack of natural resources.

She was diagnosed with autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). She even gave a talk at TEDx Stockholm on autism, explaining that because of her suffering, she cannot understand the government and citizens’ inaction on the climate threat.

The American actress and activist, who gained fame for her character Madison in the comedy Splash — A Mermaid in My Lifeand is also remembered for her role as Elle Driver in Kill Bill, told Forbes magazine that he has autism. She was diagnosed when she was little and was recommended to be hospitalized and medicated. For doctors, this is a special case, because autism is more often diagnosed in men than in women, even more so in the way it was detected in childhood. For some reason, the autistic detection “radar” often overlooks girls.

Pip Brown, better known by her stage name Ladyhawke, is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She revealed that writing the songs for her album Anxiety (2012) was like therapy for dealing with Asperger’s complications. The artist had difficulty understanding this disorder in childhood, as the syndrome was little known at the time.

We think it’s amazing to hear about these stories of celebrities who are on the autistic spectrum. Do you know anyone with this condition? Do you think there should be more information about these disorders and syndromes? Let us know in the comments!