Alex Plank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alex Plank
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Alex Plank
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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 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 he was 9 years old, Alex Plank was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which is part of the autism spectrum. He started Wrong Planet when he was 17. He wanted to find other people online who were like him. As Wrong Planet became popular, Alex Plank was often featured in the news. These stories talked about autism and autism rights.
Contents
Early Life and Starting Wrong Planet
As a child, Alex Plank faced challenges with his peers. He learned about his Asperger's diagnosis by reading papers his parents had. When he was a teenager, he looked online for others who were autistic. He was disappointed that there weren't many websites for autistic people.
Alex Plank was good with computers. He was a Linux developer in high school. This meant he knew how to build online communities. After meeting Dan Grover, he created Wrong Planet when he was 17 years old.
Alex Plank also helped build the online encyclopedia Wikipedia when it was new. He contributed to more than 10,000 articles.
Many universities in the United States teach about Alex Plank's story. They cover how he started Wrong Planet in their special education classes. A textbook used by universities like the University of Virginia and George Mason University talks about Alex Plank.
Entertainment Career
Working on The Bridge
Alex Plank was a special helper for the TV show The Bridge in 2013. He worked with actress Diane Kruger to help her play her character better. He also acted in the show's first season finale. He played an intern at the El Paso Times newspaper.
Diane Kruger said that Alex Plank was on set every day. He would also go to the writers' room. She said he was very important for her acting and for the show's writers. He helped them understand how an autistic person might act. Kruger even said she spent more time with Plank than with her own friends while working on the show. Alex Plank helped add many autistic traits to Diane Kruger's character, Sonya Cross. These included things like stimming (self-soothing movements), avoiding eye contact, and showing less emotion.
Alex Plank got the job on The Bridge in an unusual way. An executive from FX called him because they had heard about him. The executive asked him about his experiences and what he knew about autism. After that, the show's creator, Elwood Reid, invited him to talk with the writers. Alex Plank was offered a full-time job on the show after he met with 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, or Javi. Javi was the roommate of a patient named Lana Moore. Lana needed brain surgery. At first, Javi said he wasn't Lana's boyfriend. But later, it was clear they had a special relationship.
Javi's help was needed in the operating room to save Lana. But Javi is sensitive to bright lights. (Alex Plank wears special glasses because Javi has sensory processing disorder, which is common with autism.) Javi did not want to help with the surgery. Dr. Shaun Murphy, who is an autistic surgeon on the show, tried to get Javi to overcome his fear. He reminded Javi of his ritual of playing insect trivia with Lana. Dr. Morgan Reznick tried to appeal to Javi's feelings. She insisted that Javi loved Lana. But Javi said he did not love her. However, he later surprised everyone by showing up during the surgery. He saved Lana by facing his fear and going into the brightly lit operating room. After the surgery, he told Lana that he loved her.
Filmography
| 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 gave the main speech at the Autism Society of America's national meeting in 2010. He also gave the main speech at the ASCEND conference in San Francisco. According to People Magazine, Plank 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 Plank started an online TV show called Autism Talk TV. Autism Speaks helped fund this project. Rosie O'Donnell and John Elder Robison talked about the show on Rosie Radio. In December 2011, The New York Times published a front-page article about the show. It was called "Navigating Love and Autism" and was written by Amy Harmon. The article talked about the romantic relationship between two autistic co-hosts, Jack Robison and Kirsten Lindsmith. Alex Plank, Wrong Planet, and Autism Talk TV were all mentioned.
In February 2012, Alex Plank went to France. He directed a documentary called Shameful. This film showed how autism is seen and treated in France. When the film was being finished, newspapers in France and the United States wrote about it. These included L'Express and Vivre FM, a radio station in Paris. A preview of the film was released in July 2012.
Alex Plank also started an organization called Autism Rights Watch with French activist David Heurtevent. This is a non-profit group where he serves as president.
