An actor unmasks: how my late-diagnosis story inspired my comedy screenplay

Guest contributor, Molly Siobhan Parker, an actor and writer, shares how her experiences of being a late-diagnosed Autistic woman inspired her to write her short, comedy film script ‘I’m Autistic and also that B!tch’.

When I graduated from the Guildford School of Acting, I didn’t feel a sense of pride or joy, all I felt was existential dread. What happens next? How is everyone else coping? 

As an actor there is so much uncertainty in the industry, and when I graduated it was like getting dropped off a cliff into the abyss.  Nevertheless, I bagged a job in a theatre… No, not on the stage but selling programmes and expensive ice creams in the stalls. But I was in the West End, right? It felt impossible for me to cope with uncertainty and life after university, and after a little so called ‘breakdown’, I was diagnosed as Autistic. 

Autistic? Now THAT was a whole lot of emotions! Confusion, relief and grief, I guess. After a few friends and family told me the doctors were “wrong” and that I “couldn’t have Autism”, I prepared myself, ready to explore the support I needed to move forward in life. It quickly became crystal clear that there is hardly any support for Autistic adults. Great! A quick Google search brought up ‘how to help your Autistic child’ or ‘support for Autistic parents’ which was not what I was looking for as a late-diagnosed woman. What next?  Dozens of doctors’ appointments where I was told “you can’t be Autistic because you’ve got a high IQ” or the complete dreaded opposite “Autism is your superpower.” Cue a dramatic eye roll.

 ‘Make your own work’ is a phrase that buzzes around a lot in the acting industry, and I always thought that would be a terrible idea. What would I even make?  And who would even care what I have to say? Then it dawned on me, my experience since my diagnosis has been like a real-life sitcom, and I should write about it. That paired with the fact that there is a lack of representation of Autistic women, I thought to myself that maybe I really had something here!

Over time, I developed ‘I’m Autistic and Also That B!tch’: a semi-autobiographical comedy short film about my late diagnosis. It follows the story of Rayn (yes that’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to Rain Man), a late diagnosed Autistic woman who teams up with an imaginary drag queen version of Hans Asperger to explore her support options and his controversial past.

Learning about Hans Asperger, his ties to the Nazi regime and how his name was used to create a, now outdated, diagnostic label really impacted me as I learned to come to terms with my diagnosis. I think it’s important to educate society about the history of Autism and the impact that has on us today, particularly women, who are still vastly underdiagnosed and late-diagnosed. I like to think we do that in a fun and creative way in the film, using humour to engage and educate the audience. 

On this project I'm joined by a fantastic ‘Neurospicy’ team. Our amazing producer Dan Trueman, powerhouse Welsh director Izzy Rabey, our visionary director of photography Calum Barre, and the brilliant, Eva Marie Wiltshire as 1st Assistant Director. We're also lucky to have the fabulous Elen Rose Pugh on hair and makeup, who will be bringing some iconic drag-inspired looks to life.

If you want to hear more about the film, follow us on Instagram @imautisticfilm. Our crowd funder went live in July, and any support or engagement would be a huge help in bringing this film to the big screen!