Quotes

[on getting to know the real-life inspiration for the character of Charlie, a young adult adult with autism whom he portrayed in The Black Balloon (2008)] From Sean I learnt to communicate physically with my hands and not use eye contact. Spending so much time with him I was able to really see the personality and the boundaries of autism that I could use.

[on preparing for his role as a young adult with autism in the Australian film The Black Balloon (2008) by, among other things, strapping his legs to develop the rigid gait and stiffness that is a trait of some people with autism] I didn't research "What is autism," as it was not relevant to my character. I wanted to know more about the physical and mental elements that my character was and was not capable of; for instance the rigidness, the lack of eye contact and the lost world. I wanted to understand the general physical side of autism.