The 42-year-old 'Trainwreck' actress hopes to offer the 'wide spectrum' of autism with her new television project which took inspirations from her own life.
- Feb 18, 2024
AceShowbiz - Amy Schumer insists autism does not define her husband Chris Fischer. The 42-year-old actress swapped vows with the 44-year-old chef in 2018 and later that year, he received an autism diagnosis.
Taking inspiration from her own life for her TV series "Life & Beth", in which her character's husband John, played by Michael Cera, receives an autism diagnosis, Amy insisted she wanted to show the world the "wide spectrum" of autism.
She told The Hollywood Reporter, "We really wanted to be respectful and show that, when we talk about the spectrum, what that word means. It's a wide spectrum, and this is part of it that you don't often get to see, a super high-functioning person. And that that's not what defines him."
Fischer was a consulting writer on season two and Michael said, "[The character of John] was so alive on the page. And I think a lot of it is because Amy is so close to the character, and a lot of it does come from Chris, her real-life husband; though, not all of it. So it's a very full, well-rounded character. It's like a key that they discovered together, just a lot of things that were confusing to them."
He added to Amy, "Not to speak for you, but I feel like that came from your guys' life, unlocking a mystery in a way. I love the way that's channeled into the story."
Amy said, "It is a brave thing to do and to portray. Autism has been something that has been so stigmatised. Very few people share their diagnosis, and it's a shame. And we wanted to do our part to say, it's just a part of someone."
"And it's not this picture of that we've seen, of what we think that someone with autism looks like. And it holds people back from discovering this about themselves because they fear the stigma, and I really understand that. Chris is involved every step of the way. It continues to be extremely emotional, I think for all of us."
