April is National Autism Awareness Month. In the spirit of encouraging people to get involved, I’m reposting a piece I wrote about working with an actor with autism.
It’s easy to presume that you’re having a bad day in advertising.
Endless deliverables. Insane timetables. An iPhone that refuses to stop buzzing.
Recently, I was having such a day.
Or at least I thought I was.
We were casting on behalf of SunTrust for a commercial called ‘Retirement for Three’. The spot featured a couple struggling to plan for retirement while raising an adult child with autism. Early on, we decided the actor who played that son should be autistic.
Otherwise, the story would feel inauthentic. Or worse, insensitive.
And so, we auditioned one actor with special needs after another. Some struggled more than others, but each actor gave it their all, often with the support of their caregiver nearby. It was one of the most emotionally moving days of my career. To see both the courage of these actors—and their parents’ endless well of love and patience made me realize that, no I was not having a bad day.
Not even close.
After wiping away more than a few collective tears, we ended up choosing a wonderful actor named Patrick Storey. We were so touched by the bond between him and his father that we directed a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the commercial. We also convinced SunTrust to give the Storey family free retirement advice to ensure they were on the right track. The documentary went viral, Patrick received rave reviews and SunTrust gained major social cred for having the courage to embrace life as it truly is.
Before this project, I knew absolutely nothing about autism. I had no idea how prevalent it was, nor the unimaginable strains it put on families. I came away with an immense respect for both the people struggling with special needs, and the families that so tirelessly support them. To be able to highlight these struggles in such an authentic way, to give Patrick the dignity of a paycheck and donate to an organization like Autism Speaks, well, let’s put it this way.
It was a very good day, indeed.