An article from Los Angeles Times

[Source]

‘Alphas’ finale: Ryan Cartwight says, ‘It’s a crazy one’
Sept. 25, 2011 | 10:08 a.m.

Gary Bell, played by Ryan Cartwright, in a scene from "Alphas." (Russ Martin / Syfy)

The first season finale of “Alphas” airs Monday and the SyFy series has carved out its own personality after starting with a concept that sat somewhere between “The X-Files” and “X-Men.” The characters are a collection of oddballs and outsider souls and at the top of that list is Gary Bell, the autistic young man who can “see” energy and communication signals in the air, making him a walking antenna and the world’s supreme electronic eavesdropper. Ryan Cartwright, a familiar face to fans of “Bones,” plays Gary, and Hero Complex’s Geoff Boucher caught up with the 30-year-old Brit to talk about the show. This is Part 2 of the interview.

GB: You made some memorable appearances on “Bones” as the doomed intern Vincent Nigel-Murray so you know the rhythms of a procedural. “Alphas” is aiming for something different, though, isn’t it? there are those episodes that feel more like a character study.

RC: That was a lot of work through myself and a lot of the other actors, too, and we love the excitement of running around and catching the bad Alpha and that kind of thing, but the beauty of this job is that we get those kind of, well, I wouldn’t call them “acting days,” but those times when you get to explore your character. You get to know each other. Zak [Penn, the co-creator of the series] says it’s like that show “In Treatment” because we’re constantly in these therapy sessions to deal with everyone’s issues and it’s a nice way to explore the characters. It gives you a bit of poetic license.

GB: In what way?

RC: You can just sit down with the doctor and discuss your life problems. That’s a nice set-up for exposition. We love it. And now that we’ve gotten to know our characters we’re allowed to improvise a little, which was weird for me. I really had to think about it first, “What would an autistic person say?” That extra step is a challenge, things don’t drip off the tongue lightly. But now it’s fun and everyone has found their feet. We enjoy each other characters. It’s a dream job for that.

GB: Your character on “Bones” was a relatively fleeting presence on that series but he had quite the impact – his death led to the two main characters finally getting in bed together and he even had a baby named after him. 

RC: All of that is just me in real life, mate. That’s just me. I shine through every part I play. Every one is naming their babies after me. No, it’s lovely. You get those roles and you don’t know what they will lead to. “Bones” was just two days filming when I got it and then they called me back. It was the same with my character on “Mad Men.” When I did that I thought it would be just one episode. “Alphas” is the only thing I’ve done in the States where I knew it was a full season, recurring. The others, it’s always been a nice surprise.

GB: The season finale is Monday night. Is there an intriguing tidbit you can share without undermining any of the big surprises? 

RC: It’s action-packed. My ears are still ringing from listening to bullets and rifles all day. There’s a lot of smoke. I think there’s some grenades. A good number of explosions. There’s a massive man — a guy who is an ex-wrestler, he’s a huge man. So there’s a huge man in it. The huge man grabs me. It’s a super-fun one and it’s a crazy one. The fit hits the shan. And then it goes off the wall.
– Geoff Boucher

An article from Los Angeles Times

[Source]

‘Alphas’ and autism: Ryan Cartwright channels a special role
Sept. 23, 2011 | 2:14 p.m.

Gary Bell, played by Ryan Cartwright, in a scene from "Alphas." (Syfy)

The first season finale of “Alphas” airs Monday and the SyFy series has carved out its own personality after starting with a concept that sat somewhere between “The X-Files” and “X-Men.” The characters are a collection of oddballs and outsider souls and at the top of that list is Gary Bell, the autistic young man who can “see” energy and communication signals in the air, making him a walking antenna and the world’s supreme electronic eavesdropper. Ryan Cartwright, a familiar face to fans of “Bones,” plays Gary, and Hero Complex’s Geoff Boucher caught up with the 30-year-old Brit to talk about the show. This is part 1 of the interview.

GB: Portraying a character with autism is a bit of a tightrope act especially in a show that values a grounded reality and humor. Talk a bit about finding the Gary we see on “Alphas.”

RC: Even from the page you could tell it was going to be a piecemeal effort; there were several elements I’d have to figure out. Usually my only problem when I’m putting a role together in the States is just figuring out if I can do the American accent but this obviously had the autism thing and his abilities with all the electromagnetic wave lengths that he can see. So I had what was on the page but I had to research everything else and also come up with imaginary hand signals and stuff and then just conglomerate everything together and find that happy marriage.

GB: As far as autism, how intense was your research?

RC: We determined exactly where he was on the autism scale. Originally we weren’t sure if it was Asperger’s or how severe the autism was or should be. I read a load of books and met with people and eventually everyone [on the show's creative team] would defer to me because I did do all that research because, as you say, there is a certain sensitivity and we didn’t want to upset anyone.

Gary Bell, played by Ryan Cartwright, in a scene from "Alphas." (Russ Martin / Syfy)

GB: When you say you met with people, what was the setting for that?

RC: It was toward the end [of pre-production]. I was already up in Toronto and they had a specialist come by at the read-through but by that point it was so late in the day that I had already kind of got the character down. Everything I asked her — “I was going to do this,” “I was thinking he might do this” — she said was on board and on the right track. There’s also another lady, who I have not met,  who they run all the scripts by. I was offered, just before I came up [to Toronto], a chance to go to a center and meet some autistic people at a therapy session but by that point I felt I had found what I needed through books and watching documentaries. What was nice about researching the neuroscience behind everything [was that] I could base the performance on the reasoning behind it. I wasn’t just imitating people. You could go and meet autistic people but then you might end up mimicking them instead of getting to know what’s actually going on inside. And I would have felt weird asking them specific questions about their conditions. I think it would have been rude.

GB: Gary has some distinctive hand gestures that go along nicely with the visual effects team’s efforts showing what the character sees in the air. Did you work in tandem with the effects folks to devise all of that?

RC: No, no, the egg came before the chicken, man. I just had to figure it out. I worked out some hand gestures and tried to imagine in my mind what I was seeing. Actually I think that I did speak with the effects people in the middle of filming the pilot. They asked what I was doing and I said, “When I do this, I see this…” So for the series they filmed me explaining what I was doing and what exactly I would be seeing as I did my hands. Gary isn’t manipulating anything with his hands. He obviously isn’t touching them with his hands, it’s all just a guide of sorts… For me it’s an invented tic to physicalize this world and this light show he sees all the time.
– Geoff Boucher

An article from mediamikes.com

[Source]

Interview with Ryan Cartwright
September 16, 2011 By Mike Gencarelli

Ryan Cartwright is currently playing Gary Bell in Syfy’s hit show “Alphas”.  The show is a huge hit and already renewed for a second season.  With the show nearing the end of its first season Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Ryan about the show and how he prepared for his character.

Mike Gencarelli: Gary is not only a fun and interesting character but he is also very complex, what do you enjoy most about playing him?

Ryan Cartwright: I enjoy the fact he is not some kind of tokenistic character.  Everyone kind of got on board and helped give him a life behind the eyes.  It could have been one of those roles that was an embarrassment.  It is just really fun to have his sense of humor.  He is kind of knows he is cheeky and it is that knowingness behind the eyes that cracks up myself and the cast.  You can see them laughing a lot of the times and they keep it in the show. I do like to make Malik (Yoba) and Warren (Christie) laugh.  That is good fun.

MG: How did you prepare for the role and do you find the character challenging to play?

RC: Yeah, when I first read the role I needed to figure out the specifics for the character.  There are many different elements to him.  Filming-wise, my only challenge is that I have to do an American accent and that was like the easiest part of this show.  It was just fascinating going around and researching autism and general neuroscience.  It is still something that is not that well understood.  It is new and people are still learning about.  When early reviews came out for the pilot, I was amazed that, even when it wasn’t in a derogatory way, the only reference was to “Rain Man”.  It made me realize and reminded me exactly how little autistic people have been portrayed since then even.  It was fascinated and a fair bit of work.  I had about a month and a half though to research and figure out the character.  It was so well written anyway, so it was just finding that marriage between what was on the page and what I felt comfortable doing.  Once he was up and running, after the first few days filming, I got the feeling and he has just been super fun to play.

MG: What do you use for inspiration when you are “scrolling” through the information with your alphas ability?

RC: I have to figure out all those little mannerisms.  I think in the script it just said “he waves his hands through the air” and I was like “hold on, hold on”.  They were going to be putting in a graphic into this, so I had to figure out a whole system for what I would be visualizing and how my hands would be “controlling” these streams.  After I figured it all out, I spoke to the writers and the visual effects guys and made them a little video and drew up a little chart.  It was almost like a sign language chart with what the hand mannerisms meant.  It was really cool and everything matched.  It wasn’t just a random flurry of hands in the air.  It can get confusing sometimes when he is having to multitask but like I said it is fine now that he is up and running.

MG: Already just in season one, we have seen Gary change and grow more independent, what can you tell us about this?

RC: This is his first group of people that he has hung around with on a permanent basis that haven’t treated him as a second class citizen.  They realize that he has these abilities and it is the first time he is being proud of himself.  There is that childish pride and the self confidence is in full bloom.  As you can see in the first few episodes, he is kind of petulant. As the series is progressing though, he is maturing and realizing everyone has their own place in the group.  He is maturing just from being around these intense situations and seeing people die.  I think that he is realizes what a group actually is, which is something that they say with autistic people, they cannot realize the concept of other minds.  They know there is other bodies but it is hard for them to see the other people’s intentions, wants and needs.  I think he is getting a crash course in that just with his work with the group and it is progressing quite rapidly.  He has been through in the deep end.

MG: What can we expect from the upcoming finale of season one?

RC: It is crazy and pretty intense.  Gary will not be the same after the event of the finale unfold.  It is definitely a bit of a life changer for him in particular.

MG: What has been your favorite episode to shoot in this season and why?

RC: I really enjoyed the episode “Bill and Gary’s Excellent Adventure” with Malik.  It was that fun kind of buddy cop…like a bizarre kind of “48 Hours” [laughs].  It was really nice to play out that relationship  and we improvised a bit.  By that time as well it felt very organic for us to bounce off each other.  That one was definitely a fun episode.

MG: How does working on this show for you compare to your other television work i.e. “Bones” and “Mad Men”?

RC: I am super happy that it is of a high caliber because you never know.  With “Bones” and “Mad Men”, I was just like an actor for hire.  I signed on for one episode and I would be lucky when I got the call to come back.  Where as this was a commitment from day one for an extensive period of time.  It was more of a risk signing on.  I am just super happy that it is a cut above the rest and it is really good.  It is nice to be actually proud of the work you are doing and also enjoying being able to watch it.  With regards to the acting, I think it was a little bit more work upfront for me, but I do not feel like it is any different that the stuff I have done before in terms of quality.  I am very happy with it.

MG: The show was already picked up for a second season, any idea when you start filming?

RC: Oh crickey [laughs], it is weird because when we got the news that it has gone to series and we were bouncing off the wall.  It feels like we just got home from this grueling shoot and it is awesome news for sure.  But I am like “Wait, wait, let’s not go straight back…let me enjoy some sunshine and my Xbox for a little bit” [laughs].  I am super happy about the news, of course.  I am going to guess we are going back to shoot probably late March at the earliest.  They have to regroup and plan the new scripts and story lines.  I think because it isi also shot up in Toronto that people try there best to avoid the harsher weather up there.

An article from The Autistic Journalist (blog)

[Article from a blog, The Autistic Journalist]

Alpha and Omega

Photo by Justin Stephens, Syfy

Before I analyze my next story, I want to inform you that this blog is a finalist for Twin Cities CBS affiliate WCCO’s Most Valuable Blogger competition in the health/fitness/medical category. Click here to view all the entries in the category. Voters can select their favorite blog in each category once per day. The winner receives a $50 Amazon gift card.

Speaking of value, Jean Winegardner of The Washington Times explores the usefulness of an autistic character on Syfy’s new series, Alphas. The series focuses on people whose neurological anomalies give them special powers while simultaneously dealing deficits and difficulties brought on by their differences. One of the five main characters, Gary Bell, is a high-functioning autistic adult who can read a wide range of electromagnetic frequencies, including television, radio and cell phone signals.

Actor Ryan Cartwright, who portrays Bell, enjoys the complexity of the character that he believes extends beyond the autism diagnosis. Naturally, Gary makes little eye contact, his speech patterns are stilted and echolalic, he relies on rules learned by rote and carries a strict adherence to routines. All are common traits of autism spectrum disorder. However, the kicker is Gary’s sense of humor, giving him an extra personality to challenge mainstream notions that autistic people are humorless (an idea promoted in the days of Rain Man).

Much detail and care was included in the science portion of the science fiction show. Dr. Susan Bookheimer, a faculty member of UCLA’s neuroscience program, is a consultant for Alphas who reviewed each script for the show’s inaugural season while offering on advice on aspects of Gary’s presentation and symptoms. Cartwright’s research included consulting with people who work with autistic individuals, reading books by autistic authors Temple Grandin and Daniel Tammet along with blog sites created by autistic people (I wonder if he came across this one :-p) and watching documentaries on the subject. Cartwright credits this research for helping him understand the reasoning behind the attributes and difficulties of autistic people to create and not imitate the physicality of Gary. Cartwright’s biggest goal? Playing the person and not the disorder

With the story part reporting and part editorial, Winegarden expresses approval for the show introducing a complex character with autism as opposed to stereotypical characters that permeated mainstream media in the early days of autism exposure. Bookheimer concurs, as the show seeks to examine themes of neurodiversity as the topic itself becomes more embroiled in public dissemination.

Science fiction itself has always opened doors to addressing ideas and topics among current events that could never be extrapolated by media set in the present because of raw, impulsive emotional responses from segments of the viewing audience. Star Trek and its spin-offs before the 2009 reboot contained many allegories among its episodes and races, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, with a 23rd century version of Chernobyl and the end of the Soviet Union. Alphas may not be as futuristic, but the science fiction elements of neurological conditions leading to superhuman powers does communicate to viewers that disabled people aren’t so simplistic in real life. Several examples of autism in mainstream media used to place autistic individuals as “out there,” separated from the public domain. Recent portrayals, including a young boy with Asperger’s on the second version of NBC’s Parenthood and now Alphas, approach the condition with a mission to deconstruct what the public erected years ago about the condition.

Credit must also be given for Winegardner’s approach to the story. There are few indications of the article presenting itself as a column until the end of the story, when Winegardner analyzes the character of Gary Bell and the effort from Cartwright and the show’s production staff. While I doubt anyone would be critical of a column praising a television show for avoiding stereotypes, columns and editorials can sometimes fall into traps created by the writers (or pundits on television shows), where the writer eschews fact and reasoning for an egotistical nature. Winegardner’s structure is very similar to what a straight-up reporter would write, and prefaces her sense of encouragement with a behind-the-scenes look for a rookie series seeking to establish itself in the Syfy lineup, using both the actor and a consultant whose expertise is the science of the brain as sources for her analysis.

While an opinion is more blatantly expressed, opinion articles sometimes employ the tactics of more neutral stories that make up the front page of newspapers, as such work can carry the same effect in both instances. Thanks to Winegardner’s interviewing, she doesn’t have to rely solely on her own word even in a news environment where someone’s word is sometimes given more credence than traditional reporting. A positive side effect is the illustration of commitment from Alphas to accurate portrayals within its neuroscience surroundings.

As with any art form, television isn’t immune to subjectivity from the viewing audience, critics and advertisers, but even if Alphas joins the long list of “one-and-done” programs, expect future shows that tackle neurodiversity to draw inspiration from the latest work of science fiction.

Written by TheSportsBrain
August 18, 2011 at 9:47 pm

An article from Los Angeles Times

[Source]

‘Alphas’: Misfits of science find the sweet spot
Aug. 11, 2011 | 7:13 a.m.

The most promising new sci-fi series on television? Our vote goes to “Alphas” on SyFy, which lives somewhere between “The Office” and “The X-Men.” The show gives us a “misfits of science” team of special-ability civilians (along with one grouchy FBI agent) who would fascinate Fox Mulder — they could use his help, too, to sort out the slow-reveal conspiracies that are taking the Monday night show toward its two-part season finale. The series has some intriguing guest stars in the mix (Lindsay Wagner, Summer Glau and Brett Spiner among them) and our Geoff Boucher recently sat down with the show’s head writer, Ira Steven Behr (executive producer on both “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “The 4400″) to talk about the sh0w’s ambitions.

Ira Steven Behr (SyFy)

GB: One of the key things for any show in its early life is to pinpoint the tone that will be its signature. What can you tell us about “Alphas” at this point?

ISB: One of the reasons I joined this little parade was for the chance to do a show that exists in the sci-fi universe but was clearly meant to be a character-driven show and was clearly meant to have humor as a major element — character humor as opposed to slapstick or farce. I think the tone of the show is interesting. It’s very fast-paced at times. One of the things we decided to do after the pilot was speed up the look of the show with lots of hand-held camera and a lot of energy in the scenes to make it as real as possible. OK, so people don’t necessarily have this level of ability in the real world — at least not yet although some seem to on YouTube — but we can keep it real and keep it natural as well as that sense that these are kind of the odd ducks doing a job that they are not meant to do.

A scene from “Alphas.” (Russ Martin/Syfy)

GB: Sometimes for a show it’s important to know what needs to be avoided. What does this show need to avoid to succeed?

ISB: Speaking only for myself, I’m not attracted to more procedural elements of the show. There are a ton of procedurals on the air; do we need another one on the Syfy network? It gives us a nice framework for the show but I don’t think we should get caught up into scenes or episodes that could be played on another series out there. One of the things that we’ve done so far [in the completed episodes that have not yet aired], we’ve managed to make every episode different than the one that came before. It’s definitely not cookie-cutter. That’s what really interests me in terms of being on this show; you’re giving the audience a wide range of storytelling. We’ve done an episode that is, in my view, a procedural show and then we’ve followed it with a very strong  character-driven episode where we put the humor in the foreground. We’ve had spooky, intense episodes and then something with a different feel completely. I’ve done this kind of [show] before when I did ”The 4400″ where originally it was going to be ”We’re going to do 4,400 episodes because you meet one of those people every week” but then the thing was, no, you really don’t want to do that. We played with the franchise literally every season. I’m not sure we’re going to have that kind of freedom here but I think that Season Two — if there is a Season Two – will definitely build on Season One in lots of ways but it won’t repeat Season One.

A scene from "Alphas." (Russ Martin/Syfy)

GB: The emphasis on improvisation and dialogue overlap, giving the show a nice crackle. You’ve had the cast to do it — people like David Straithairn, Ryan Cartwright and Malik Yoba  — but I’m wondering how their performances come back to you and tilt the characters that you write on the page the next time around. 

ISB: I spent eight years in the “Star Trek” universe where actors could not change a word. I’m not exaggerating. They could not change a word without a call to the offices. It was a lot easier, we were on the same lot [at Paramount], we could go down and talk. They were all pretty good about it; because of the whole 24th century thing, if they just on-the-spot changed a line it can make it slangy or too current. So what I’m saying is they knew that and it wasn’t a problem. But in that setting there wasn’t an opportunity to do what we’re doing with “Alphas.” And you’re right, it does require people that can do it and actually achieve it. If you can’t do it, stick with what’s written or else it will go sideways. Again, the naturalistic quality, the reality of an on-the-spot, living, breathing moment and the reaction to it is kind of cool. And you know we’re talking about two different things, too, when we’re talking about improv and the ad lib. The extra line that someone throws in at the end of a scene or to punctuate a moment, that creates that crackle and it’s a great button — that’s one thing. Then there’s the ad-libbing  within the written dialogue where people go “off book,” as we say. That’s the stuff you have to listen more closely to [at rehearsals] and hopefully work that stuff out before they hit the set because you want to make sure the intent and the information is still there even if it’s dirtied up and changed to come more comfortably out of the actor’s mouth. These guys are pretty great and we talk it over with them and we have writers on the set.

A scene from "Alphas." (Russ Martin/Syfy)

GB: I really enjoy the fact that the characters are conflicted about their abilities and uneasy about their place in the world – no one on this team would ever wear a cape and deliver a speech during a fight.

ISB: These people — with the exception of Bill Harkin, who is FBI [and portrayed by Yoba] — none of them really have a right to be doing what they’re doing.  And if [Straithairn's character] Dr. Rosen or anyone else was putting together a TV team of investigators and cops and muscle to work on cases and go after these powerful, dangerous people, this would not be the team you would pick. You’d be looking through the Alphas catalog and you would pick different people. They aren’t what you expect. And that’s the sweet spot for the show.
– Geoff Boucher

An article from The Washington Times

[Source]

He's not autistic, but he plays one on TV: Ryan Cartwright on Syfy's Alphas

Photo: Justin Stephens/Syfy

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Autism Unexpected by Jean Winegardner

SILVER SPRING, Md., August 2, 2011—About halfway through the second episode of Syfy's new series "Alphas," Dr. Lee Rosen, played by David Strathairn, says, "[His] ability is an integral part of him, as is the color of a person's skin or you being left handed. You can't extract that."

Rosen is referring to a character with special neurological abilities and is basically talking about neurodiversity, but taken to the nth power.

"Alphas" is a science fiction series focused on exploring people whose neurological anomalies give them special powers—super strength or the ability to hyper-intensify one sense at a time, for example—at the same time that they deal with the deficits and difficulties brought on by their differences. These people are the titular Alphas.

It is fitting then, that one of the show's five main Alphas is Gary Bell, an autistic adult who can read a wide range of electromagnetic frequencies, including television, radio and cell phone signals. The inclusion of an autistic character brings an interesting layer of neurodiverse reality to a show almost entirely made of fantasy.

Gary, as played by actor Ryan Cartwright, is described on the show as a "high functioning autistic." Cartwright sees him as more complex than just his diagnosis and says, "I like that he has a voice, an attitude and a developing sense of humor. He's an innocent in certain ways, which makes him endearing, but he's also finding himself in a position of great appreciation and admiration for the first time in his life, so he's strutting a little."

Ryan Cartwright on Alphas

Naturally, the autism community carefully watches portrayals of autistic characters on television, something the show's creators seem to be aware of. "Everyone involved in the show is taking great pains to be sensitive to the autistic community," says Cartwright.

Interest in creating a realistic portrayal of autism started before filming began with Dr. Susan Bookheimer, a faculty member at the UCLA Neuroscience Program, who has served as a consultant for "Alphas," offering advice on aspects of Gary's presentation and symptoms. Bookheimer also consulted on each script as it was developed.

"I read the dialogues and gave input on how this character might have reacted, the kinds of things he would and wouldn't say, and generally tried to give insight into the inner life of a high functioning person with autism," she says. "I wanted to help make the character as genuine as possible, not a caricature, but a real person with many of the issues that an individual with autism has."

For his part, Cartwright researched autism in order to be able to play Gary as a real person. He says that in addition to consultation with people who work with autistic individuals, he watched documentaries and read books by autistic authors Temple Grandin and Daniel Tammet, along with vlog and blog sites created by autistic people.

"Reading about autism and neuroscience helped me understand the reasoning behind a lot of the physical attributes and difficulties of people with autism, which in turn helped me create, as opposed to imitate, a physicality for Gary," he says.

Cartwright has incorporated much of this into his portrayal of Gary. Gary rarely makes eye contact, something that is difficult for many—but not all—people with autism. ("It's quite relaxing to not have to look people in the eye all day," Cartwright says. "You end up listening and visualizing a great deal more.")

On the show, Gary's speech is convincingly stilted and echolalic (repetitive of others' vocalizations), which is even more impressive when you take into account the fact that in real life, Cartwright speaks with a British accent. The character's sense of humor adds an air of levity to the show and gives him extra personality at the same time that it challenges the idea that people with autism are humorless.

The show has deftly introduced common autism characteristics, such as Gary's reliance on rules learned by rote, his need to have idiomatic speech explained, and his extreme reliance on routine. There are other subtle touches, such as when Gary sits down in a chair, spies a fluffy pillow and starts to pick at its detail. Much of this takes place in the background of scenes, letting Gary's way of being permeate the atmosphere. "Alphas'" third episode features a secondary storyline that has Gary hearing a humming sound in the team's new offices that no one else can hear.
Watching "Alphas," it is clear that Gary's character was put together with careful thought. Of course, an autistic person is more than just a collection of symptoms, something Cartwright is aware of. "The character was a rough sketch to begin with," he explains. "The wonderful writers and producers on the show, along with myself, slowly connected all of Gary's traits and conditions until he was a balanced and believable individual."

Gary's interaction with the other members of the Alphas team is interesting in that while the team seems to like and respect Gary, some of them baby him a little and at least one team member is often openly annoyed by him. It will also be interesting to see how much Gary's disability is explored in its own right as it relates to Gary, and not just as a foil or a lesson for the other characters.

Yet even with all of the care put into Gary's character, the creation of a savant-like autistic character gives some observers pause. Many in the autism community are wary of portrayals that imply that autistic people are savants because while some definitely are, most are not.
Gary's repetitive hand gestures, or stims, are familiar to those who know people with autism, but in Gary's case, he is manipulating the electromagnetic signals he is able to receive. Is the fact that Gary has a sort of savant-like ability mitigated by the fact that he is surrounded by non-autistic characters who share similar powers? And should we assume that Gary's autism is responsible for these powers?

Warren Christie, Cartwright, Malik Yoba
 and Strathairn of Alphas

Cartwright says we can't make that assumption. He explains that "Gary's autism isn't necessarily linked to his ability to visualize electromagnetic waves and that the process of maturing while being bombarded with this perma-light show inside his brain has also affected how he behaves as an individual."

Bookheimer concurs, saying, "He isn't a shallow stereotype—he has a complex character. He is not defined by his autism. He, like the other characters, has a special ability, and he knows that he is special."

It is encouraging to see more and more non-stereotypical characterizations of autism on television, especially one that centers on a smart, funny, successful, but clearly quirky adult man, who needs extra help to get along in the world. It will be interesting to watch Cartwright and the creators of "Alphas" as they help Gary develop as a three-dimensional character, and as they hopefully explore more themes of neurodiversity.
It seems evident that the team behind "Alphas" has put good faith and care into the creation of the character. Cartwright himself seems protective of Gary—all of Gary. "I feel as though my first responsibility is to Gary as an individual," he says. "As I've said before, you want to play the person, not the disorder."

"Alphas" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on the Syfy network. The full pilot episode is available to watch online. To read the full text of Ryan Cartwright's interview with Jean, please visit Stimeyland, Jean's personal blog.

 Jean writes a personal blog at Stimeyland and an autism-events website for Montgomery County, Maryland, at AutMont. You can find her on Twitter as @Stimey. Read more of Jean's work at Autism Unexpected in the Communities at the Washington Times.

An article from Stimeyland

[Source]

Tuesday, August 2, 2011
My Interview with Ryan Cartwright of "Alphas"

Ryan Cartwright as Gary Bell of "Alphas"

I am always interested to see how television shows use autistic characters. Thanks to a column I wrote for Autism Unexpected, I was able to conduct an email interview with Ryan Cartwright, the actor who plays autistic character Gary Bell on Syfy's new show "Alphas."

Ryan had some great answers to the questions I had about creating an autistic character for television. He was interested in seeing his full answers published, and I agreed. You can check out his work on "Alphas" on the Syfy network every Monday at 8 p.m. Don't forget to read my full story about the show as well: "He's not autistic, but he plays one on TV."

Check out what Ryan had to say, and be sure to let me know if you've watched "Alphas" and, if you have, what you think of it and its portrayal of autism.

Jean: How did you approach playing an autistic character differently than the other roles you've had in the past?

RC: I used the same approach—it was just the amount and specificity of the research that differed. I always need to feel as though I have earned a right to play the character, to the point where the character is actually playing me in a sense. I wanted to do as much research as possible to the point where I felt as though I could empathize with Gary as though he were a real person and not a fictional character.

What did you do to prepare to play Gary?

I watched a lot of documentaries, YouTube videos. Consulted with people who work with autistic people. The most helpful and interesting aspect was the literature I found. Some wonderful books by Temple Grandin, Daniel Tammet, Oliver Sacks et al; and some lovely vlogs and blog sites by autistic people.

Specifically, reading about autism and neuroscience helped me understand the reasoning behind a lot of the physical attributes and difficulties of people with autism, which in turn helped me create, as opposed to imitate, a physicality for Gary.

Also, I must mention that Gary’s autism isn’t necessarily linked to his ability to visualize electromagnetic waves, and that the process of maturing while being bombarded with this perma-light show inside his brain has also affected how he behaves as an individual.

Do you have any personal connections to autism in your life?

A good friend of mine is autistic and he gave me some nice little insights into his disorder, but that wasn’t something I drew from a great deal.

What was the greatest challenge you faced in preparing to play Gary?

The main challenge was correlating all the disparate bits of info I had for the character and then making him his own person with a decent amount of consistency. To be brief, the character was a rough sketch to begin with, and the wonderful writers and producers on the show, along with myself, slowly connected all of Gary’s traits and conditions until he was a balanced and believable individual (considering his circumstances).

A fun bit for me was creating all of his hand movements for how he guides himself through the wavelengths.

What are your favorite things about Gary?

I like that he has a voice, an attitude and a developing sense of humor. He’s an innocent in certain ways, which makes him endearing, but he’s also finding himself in a position of great appreciation and admiration for the first time in his life, so he’s strutting a little.

It’s also quite relaxing to not have to look people in the eye all day. You end up listening and visualizing a great deal more, which puts me in a different head space altogether, and we all know that’s never a bad thing from time to time.

Do you and Gary have any similarities?

Cheeky sense of humor. We both like sexy shoes on ladies (you’ll see ;)

What can fans look forward to in terms of Gary this season?

He is coming into his own as an individual. The team is helping him do this. It’s like he’s re-entering society in an appreciated role as opposed to his insular beginnings. Also a super fun episode called “Bill and Gary’s Excellent Adventure.” [Airing August 15]

What, if any, responsibility do you feel to the autism community to portray Gary realistically?

Obviously that was the reason I did so much research in the first place. As an actor and an empathetic person, I wanted to know that I was coming from a real place. I’ve been very touched by all the people who have expressed their appreciation of my portrayal thus far.

I feel as though my first responsibility is to Gary as an individual. As I’ve said before, you want to play the person NOT the disorder.

Everyone involved in the show is taking great pains to be sensitive to the autistic community, none more so than myself. At a certain point you have to let the character do their own thing, and I believe the worst thing you can do when portraying someone with a different lifestyle or manner of perceiving the world is to patronize by way of condescending with compassion. People who have faced great difficulties rarely want pity, and often find it offensive and misplaced. It’s not just autistic people who live on a spectrum, we all do. Everybody has an individual voice, and Gary is just expressing himself how he feels most comfortable.

What is your favorite thing about "Alphas"?

Nice location shooting. The stellar cast. Phenomenally talented and responsive writers. Super smart producers. The humorous character banter. Catering, and days off in Toronto. Big up!

Is there anything else you would like to let me know about your experience playing Gary? My readers tend to be parents of children with autism or autistic people themselves. Is there anything you would like them to know?

I just hope that they enjoy seeing Gary blossoming against his own adversity. I’m an entertainer, and that’s mainly what I hope Gary and the show as a whole does for everyone regardless of their life situation. We all deserve a little entertainment on Spaceship Earth, right?!

An article from EW.com

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Ryan Cartwright on Vincent Nigel Murray's [SPOILER] last night on 'Bones' -- EXCLUSIVE
by Sandra Gonzalez

Image Credit: Michael Becker/FOX

SPOILERS AHEAD: Ryan Cartwright was in Toronto when he called EW, almost 16 hours after his character Vincent Nigel Murray took a bullet intended for Booth on Bones. And he was quite cheery for a man who’d just died.

He has every reason to be, though. Not only did his character manage to capture the hearts of fans in just a few spotty episodes, but his Syfy channel pilot, Alphas, ensures that Cartwright (pictured, right) has a place to call home post-Bones. Not to mention, he gets the satisfaction of possibly being the man who is responsible for finally getting Booth and Brennan together. In our exclusive chat, we cover this and more with our dearly departed squintern.


ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So last night, you had me bawling. I was inconsolable.
RYAN CARTWRIGHT: [Laughs] That’s great. Or, wait, I’m sorry, I guess.

Don’t be! It was great. Have you seen the episode yet?
No, I’m going to watch it tonight. But I saw my death scene because I had to go in and do some ADR [i.e. dialogue replacement], which was weird. I had to go in and do my terminal breath and record my final gasps. It’s a weird thing to go do on a Sunday afternoon. But I have yet to see the full episode.

When you were on scene filming it, what was the environment among the cast?
It was just miserable. It was what you’d think. And it was so well written, it would have been easier if I was shot and died straight away. But to have to do a death bed scene where you’re begging to stay alive — it’s a bit uncomfortable. I think the rest of the cast and crew were happy to get off the train and get back to the giggles.

But I can’t imagine there weren’t some real tears on set during that.
I think there were a couple of lip-quiverings. And the editor came up to me the next day and gave me a hug because she said she’d been crying all day piecing it together.

In terms of Vincent himself, he was such a randomly beloved character. When you first came on as him, did you ever anticipate the squinterns getting a following?
Oh, no. Not at all. Originally, he was in one episode, and I was like, “Oh, that’s a great character.” And since it’s been a fantastic little Christmas gift every time he came back. I had no idea that it would blow up the way it did. It’s been fantastic for me.

Well, speaking of Vincent’s rotating schedule, a few fans noticed that he’d been on for a few episodes, and then he made his “peace” with the confessions. So some saw it coming, I think. Were you expecting it?
Something had been mentioned in passing. And people had said one of the squinterns were going to go. So I felt it in the wind.

Well, if you were going to die, at least you died for a reason. You could be the reason Brennan and Booth finally got together!
[Laughs] Yeah, however I can help. If that’s what it takes.

Do you know whether or not they went through with it?
Oh, no! I only get the scripts of my episode.

So you’re on the ride with the rest of us.
Yeah, I’m with the rest of you.

So in sum, how would you characterize your time on the show?
It’s kind of summed up on the blooper reels. It’s a lot of laughs. Everyone there loves doing the show. It’s a lot of giggles.

Favorite Vincent scene?
Oh, I saw the one the other day where I was confessing to Emily that I had told people we were in a relationship. That made me giggle. And any scene I had with John Francis Daly, because we sat there giggling like little school boys all day.

So I know you’re working on a show now for Syfy, Alphas. What can you tell me about it and about your character?
It’s going to be a real treat for Syfy fans. And hopefully some Nigel Murray fans will have a look, too. I play a guy called Gary Bell who’s an American and he’s a functioning autistic fella. And he has the ability to see any electromagnetic wavelengths, so he can read what’s on your cellphone, tell where people are, look through security cameras, and whatnot. It’s basically a group of us, the Alphas, who have these special abilities beyond the edges. And this [character] Doctor Rosen [played by David Strathairn] and us are a therapy group. And what’s happening now is that the government is having to use us to track down other Alphas. And some people with these abilities are the bad guys. We have to help track them down.

That sounds much more action-packed that Nigel Murray is accustomed to. Do you get to do fighting and stunts?
Yeah. I was just biting a guy’s neck the other day. And my bony, British body is covered in bruises. There’s quite a bit of action.

Well, we can’t wait to see it. But we are going to miss you.
There’s always re-runs.

Ryan Cartwright is in Funny Or Die

Vincent Dooly Presents: Cycop

Vincent Dooly Presents: Cycop from Ryan Cartwright

Ryan Cartwright is in Mad Men

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Q&A - Ryan Cartwright (John Hooker)

Ryan Cartwright plays John Hooker, executive assistant to Lane Pryce and a favorite of the secretaries at Sterling Cooper. He talks to AMCtv.com about joining the cast, and whether that accent of his really does open doors.

Q: Did you know much about the show before you joined the cast?

A: I had seen some of the show. I was always taken aback by the acting on it -- everyone on it is so good. Once I got it, I realized how big a show it was. I'd tell my friends, "Oh I got a job on this, I got a job on that." This was the only time when they were like, "Oh wow! ... I'll be watching it anyway."

Q: So how did you come to get the part?

A: It was after pilot season, I had done the rounds and no one was buying what I was selling. They just called me in. It was one audition. I didn't think I'd get it; I thought it'd be a kind of stereotyped handsome Brit that they'd want. But I guess they're a lot smarter -- and luckily I wasn't that.
It was a very quick turnaround. With pilot season, you have to jump through so many hoops, there are so many people in the room, you end up doing four or five auditions. You're just quaking by the end of it. This was just the opposite: "Yup, fine, you're working tomorrow." I had to quickly step up to the plate.

Q: What did you do to prepare?

A: I looked at documentaries and stock footage from the period because they're very specific as to when it was. I didn't want to pollute myself by thinking I'd have heard the later Beatles catalogue. So I listened to some early Dylan, Beatles. I looked at what was going on the British side, the Carnaby Street stuff. I tried to look at the accents, like exactly how clipped it would have been.

Q: You've joined a cast famous for their camaraderie. How have you been getting along with them? 

A: They hate me. As soon as they say "Cut," I have to leave the set. No, they're lovely.

Q: Not calling you Moneypenny, I hope?

A: They wouldn't dare. A lot of the guys play Call of Duty 4, the Xbox game. A lot of the time, we just talk about that. What are the best guns, where are the best hiding places.

Q: You've been on other shows before both in U.S. and U.K. Has the experience been different from the other series work you've done?

A: The only newness is the reception is a lot larger here. There's a lot more advertising. It's also a helluva good show. There are not many shows as good in America, or in England. With regards to day-to-day, I've found that as with most of the best jobs I've done, it's a nice, calm set. No tension, no jostling. Everyone's really mellow.

Q: The ladies of Sterling Cooper swoon over your accent. Have you found that to be true in real life?

A: Of course! I always say Los Angeles is the place where British people come to exceed their worth. It's quite true of everything: The British accent does open doors.

Q: Do you have a favorite moment from the previous two seasons?

A: I remember there was one bit I really liked. Between Peggy and Pete. It's just one little scene where they're in the office and he was talking how he'd like a wife to bring a bloody steak and cook it for him. That was something, but also the moment after, you follow Peggy reeling from that, and she had to buy herself something to eat. I love those sort of quiet moments, when things calm down and you get to actually know the people. In most shows, they'd cut those off-moments because they think the action has stopped.

Q: Do you read reviews, or follow what the legions of fans have been saying?

A: Only generally, if I catch something in the paper or online. I don't delve too deep into reviews. I saw clips of the Times Square party and I noticed lots of friends using a Mad Men avatar.

Q: Did you make John Hooker one?

A: 'Course I did.