Alex Plank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alex Plank
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Alex Plank
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| Born |
Alexander Plank
June 27, 1986 |
| Occupation | Autism advocate, film consultant, filmmaker, actor |
| Known for | Creating Wrong Planet, consulting and acting on FX's The Bridge, acting on The Good Doctor |
Alexander Plank, born on June 27, 1986, is an American who helps people understand autism. He is also a filmmaker and an actor.
He is famous for starting an online community called Wrong Planet. He also worked on the TV show The Bridge and acted in The Good Doctor.
When Alex was 9 years old, he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which is part of the autism spectrum. At 17, he created Wrong Planet to connect with other people like him online. As Wrong Planet became popular, Alex Plank was often featured in news stories about autism.
Contents
Early Life and Starting Wrong Planet
When Alex Plank was a child, other kids sometimes picked on him or left him out. He found out about his Asperger's diagnosis by looking through papers his parents had.
As a teenager, he looked online for others who were autistic. He was disappointed that there weren't many websites for autistic people. Alex was good with computers and knew how to build online communities. So, at age 17, he teamed up with Dan Grover to create Wrong Planet.
Alex also helped build Wikipedia in its early days. He contributed to more than 10,000 articles on the online encyclopedia.
Many universities in the United States teach about Alex Plank's story. His journey with Wrong Planet is even in a textbook used for special education classes.
Entertainment Career
Working on The Bridge
Alex Plank was a special advisor for the TV show The Bridge in 2013. He helped actress Diane Kruger understand her character, Sonya Cross, who was autistic.
Alex also acted in the show's first season finale. He played an intern at a newspaper. Diane Kruger said Alex was on set every day. He would also visit the writers' room to help the writers. Kruger mentioned that Alex was very important for her acting and for the show's stories.
Alex helped add many realistic autistic traits to Sonya Cross's character. These included things like stimming (self-soothing movements), avoiding eye contact, and having a calm way of speaking.
Alex got the job on The Bridge in a unique way. An executive from FX, the TV channel, called him because they had heard about his work. After that, the show's creator, Elwood Reid, invited Alex to meet the writers. He was offered a full-time job after meeting Diane Kruger.
Acting in The Good Doctor
In 2019, Alex Plank was a guest star in season 2 of The Good Doctor. He played Javier Maldonado, also known as Javi. Javi was the roommate of a patient named Lana Moore, who needed brain surgery.
Javi was sensitive to bright lights. He wore special glasses because of his sensory processing disorder, which is common with autism. At first, he didn't want to help with Lana's surgery because of the bright operating room.
Dr. Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgeon on the show, tried to convince Javi to help. He reminded Javi of his fun ritual of playing insect trivia with Lana. Another doctor, Dr. Morgan Reznick, tried to appeal to Javi's feelings. She said Javi loved Lana, but he denied it.
However, Javi surprised everyone by showing up during the surgery. He bravely went into the bright room and helped save Lana. After the surgery, he told her he loved her.
Film and TV Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Bridge | Intern | Episode: "The Crazy Place" |
| 2019 | The Good Doctor | Javier Maldonado (Javi) | Episode: "Xin" |
| 2023 | Ezra | Dr. Kaplan | Also Associate Producer |
Other Autism Advocacy Work
Alex Plank has given important speeches at major autism conferences. In 2010, he was the main speaker at the Autism Society of America's national conference. He also spoke at the ASCEND conference in San Francisco.
According to People Magazine, Alex spoke at a conference in San Diego. While there, he was also the DJ and best man at the first "all-autism" wedding.
In 2010, Alex started an online TV show called Autism Talk TV. This show was supported by Autism Speaks. Famous people like Rosie O'Donnell talked about the show on their radio programs. In December 2011, The New York Times published a front-page article about the romantic relationship between two of Alex's autistic co-hosts, Jack Robison and Kirsten Lindsmith. The article also talked about Alex Plank, Wrong Planet, and Autism Talk TV.
In February 2012, Alex traveled to France to direct a documentary called Shameful. This film showed how autism is seen and treated in France. When the film was being finished, news about it appeared in both French and American publications. A preview of the film was released in July 2012.
Alex Plank also co-founded Autism Rights Watch with French activist David Heurtevent. This is an organization that works to protect the rights of autistic people, and Alex serves as its president.
