Is Michael Cera autistic?
Michael Cera is a Canadian actor known for playing nerdy, sensitive characters in movies such as Juno and Superbad. He says that he became interested in acting when he was home sick with chicken pox at the age of three. He watched the movie Ghostbusters over and over until he’d memorized all the dialogue. He has attempted to move away from his nice-guy stereotype in his more recent films, including Magic Magic and This is the End. Memorizing lines from movies can be an autistic trait, and he often plays characters who are socially awkward, but there is no confirmation that Michael Cera is autistic.
I realise this is quite an old post but thought I’d comment for the hell of it.
Check out this clip of Michael Cera on Hot Ones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBJq-XCP27c
I’m somewhat autistic myself and find it quite easy to develop a detailed construct of someone by watching them. I can make what I’d consider are accurate predictions of various personality traits (neuroticism, creativity, autism, conscientiousness) someone has based on their a number of types of behaviours. Physical mannerisms, what they say, when they choose to say certain things, how uncomfortable they are within certain things; to name a few.
Notice how he:
1. When asked if he’s asked at the top of the show if he’s good with spicy food, he tells a relevant but slightly contrived story. I mean it drags a little to be honest.
2. As the show’s beginning he expresses discomfort with how sitting in the stool feels, and proceeds to make himself comfortable. He moves closer to the table, something other guests would most likely not do. Begins with a slightly contrived story, follows with committing a tiny faux-pas by way of complaining about how sitting in the stool feels. I can see a social behaviour pattern forming: a higher-than-normal degree of self-involvement.
3. Throughout the interview and especially in the first half he feels quite obliged to tell Sean how he’s feeling about the each hot sauce, and quite immediately too.
4. Notice Sean’s felt the need to apologise after Michael explained hi paparazzi story pertaining to the photo of him on his bike. This really just comes down to Cera’s recollection of the story, surely if you were on a talk show-esque youtube series you’d tell the story with some comedy.
I would say each of the above examples indicate a pattern of behaviour synonymous with autism, defined largely by a lack of social awareness.
I’d say just from this video you can tell the guy’s got some reasonable amount of autism. Don’t agree? Let’s discuss
Absolutely agreed
I know this comment is fairly old, however someone can’t have “some autism” as autism is a disorder rather than a linear spectrum. The spectrum you hear about is more a pie chart, and if you fit the diagnostic requirements, you are on it. Autism manifests extremely differently for each autistic person. I’m saying this as someone with autism. I am second level support needs, which that term is even debated within the community due to its very limited categorization. But in my opinion, it’s much better than terms like ‘high functioning’ or ‘low functioning’. Most labels non autistic people use for autistics is based around how inconvenient for or different we are from non autistics. On to Michael Cera, no one here knows him personally of course- we cannot say if he does or does not have autism. For me personally, I connect with how he has presented himself to the public. He shares similar traits to myself, and seeing someone vaguely similar to me in somewhere like Hollywood (especially someone who also comes from Ontario) is a very nice feeling. I also enjoy how much more real he feels than other celebrities. He doesn’t feel like he’s trying to force a personality that doesn’t fit him (most of the time) and he seems genuinely in love with his work. I wouldn’t be surprised if he revealed one day in an interview that he is autistic, but no one can say for certain as no one here knows him or is a mental health professional involved with him. (I know your comment is old, sorry!)
I found it interesting that Michael Cera played a very autistic like character in Amy Schumer’s new TV show Life and Beth, as I feel the character is based off her husband who is autistic. The show never says he is autistic, but he’s overly blunt, doesn’t understand some context, has obsessions, etc. It made me wonder if she got Cera to play the role because he is autistic.