Although some may have their limitations with ASD, others have found that they flourish in unconventional and surprising environments. We looked at six famous individuals from the past and present who have accomplished great things in the theatrical, technological and musical fields of history.
Did you know that Oscar Winner Sir Anthony Hopkins best known for his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs was diagnosed with Asperger’s? In fact, he has often said that his Asperger’s has helped him get into roles in the past, despite not knowing he had the condition until his later 70’s. Clearly his acting abilities paid off when he won an Oscar earlier this year.
People will often recognise Susan Boyle as the woman with the phenomenal singing voice who rose to fame after appearing in Britain’s Got Talent. What followed was instant fame that she struggled to deal with. It was no surprise that she later learned that she had Asperger’s in 2012 which was a result of her shy and introverted behaviour.
Many know of Steve Jobs’ master creativity, obsession with perfection and high intelligence. Traits that are very well connected to ASD which led many to believe he was most certainly on the spectrum. It has never been confirmed as we have learned that many often do not discover they are on the spectrum until much later in life, and he unfortunately passed away at only 56 years old.
For many Dan Aykroyd is the epitome of the classic 80’s comedy for his wickedly hilarious role as Ray Stanz in Ghostbusters. Having been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome in his adolescence, growing up meant he was constantly having to feed his wild imaginations. It wasn’t until his wife later encouraged him to consult a psychiatrist about his tics and compulsive obsessive disorder that he discovered he has a mild form of Asperger’s, which also helped in his role for Ghostbusters.
Courtney Love grew up in a bohemian lifestyle as a result of her mother’s hippie nature where she often had trouble at school and struggled to socially interact with the other children. At age 9 she learned that she was diagnosed autistic, and although her youth was often unstructured and somewhat chaotic she did well to carve a singing and acting career for herself.
As a child prodigy with a superior memory and a natural ability to read music, it’s hard to ignore that Mozart did possess traits that put him directly on the autism spectrum. His obsessively repetitive methods and selective behaviour are prime indicators of Asperger’s – it’s no wonder that he is one of the greatest of all time.
