Alex Plank

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
Alex Plank
Photograph of Alex Plank
Alex Plank
Born
Alexander Plank

(1986-06-27) June 27, 1986 (age 39)
Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Autism advocate, film consultant, filmmaker, actor
Known forCreating Wrong Planet, consulting and acting on FX's The Bridge, acting on The Good Doctor

Alexander Plank (born June 27, 1986) is an American autistic activist, filmmaker and actor. He is known for founding the online community Wrong Planet, working on FX's television series The Bridge, and acting on The Good Doctor. At the age of 9, Plank was diagnosed with the now-defunct autism subtype[1] Asperger syndrome.[2] Plank started Wrong Planet at the age of 17 in order to find others like him on the Internet. After the popularity of Wrong Planet grew, Plank began to be frequently mentioned in the mainstream media in articles relating to autism, Asperger syndrome, and autistic rights.[3][4][5]

Early life and founding of Wrong Planet

[edit]

As a child, Plank was bullied, excluded, and ridiculed by his peers, according to the book NeuroTribes. He only found out about his diagnosis of Asperger syndrome after looking through papers in his parents' drawers. During his teen years, he searched the internet to find others like him but was frustrated by the lack of sites for autistic individuals. He was a Linux developer while still in high school and was familiar with the tools needed to create an online community. After meeting Dan Grover, he created Wrong Planet at the age of 17.[6]

Plank was a contributor to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia during its early years. He contributed to over 10,000 articles.[7]

Entertainment career

[edit]

The Bridge

[edit]

Plank served as a consultant for the 2013 TV series The Bridge and worked with Diane Kruger on developing her character.[8] He made his on-screen acting debut in the finale of season one, playing the role of the intern at the El Paso Times.[9] Kruger stated that Plank was on set every day and would collaborate with the show's writers, making "instrumental" contributions to her and the writers' work.[10][11] Kruger also stated that, while working on the show, she spent more time with Plank than with her partner and friends.[12] Plank introduced a variety of autistic tendencies into Kruger's character of Sonya Cross, including stimming, awkwardness around eye contact, and a flat affect.[13]

The way in which Plank got hired to work on The Bridge was somewhat unconventional.[tone] He received an unsolicited call from an executive at FX who had heard of him. The executive proceeded to ask Plank questions about his experiences and his knowledge of autism. After this, Plank was contacted by the showrunner, Elwood Reid, who invited him to the writers room. It wasn't until after he met with Kruger that Plank was offered a full-time position on the show.[13]

The Good Doctor

[edit]

In 2019, Plank guest starred in season 2 of The Good Doctor as Javier Maldonado, the roommate of Lana Moore, a patient who needs to undergo brain surgery. While Javi initially denies being Lana's boyfriend, it is later revealed that they have a relationship that is more than platonic.

Plank's character's help is needed in the operating room to save Lana but Javi is sensitive to light (Plank wears progressively tinted glasses due to Javi's sensory processing disorder, a common condition comorbid to autism) and he refuses to help with the surgery. While Dr. Shaun Murphy, the show's autistic surgeon, tries to get Javi to overcome his fear by appealing to Javi's affinity for his ritual of playing insect trivia with Lana, Dr. Morgan Reznick appeals to Javi's emotions, insisting that Javi does indeed love Lana. But Javi replies that he does not love her. However, he later unexpectedly shows up during the surgery and saves Lana by overcoming his fear and going into the brightly lit operating room. After surgery, he confesses his love for her.[14]

Filmography

[edit]
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[15][16][17] Also Associate Producer[18][19]

Other autism advocacy

[edit]
Neurodiversity paradigm
Philosophy
Organizations
Events
Issues
People
Films
Criticism

In a 2008 interview with New York magazine, Plank claimed he was neither supportive of nor opposed to the idea of curing autism. Plank stated, "Since no cure exists, I don’t have to be opposed or for it. The thing now is to deal with the autistic people who are already on this planet."[20]

Plank gave the keynote speech at the Autism Society of America's national conference in 2010.[21][22][23] He also gave the keynote at the ASCEND conference in San Francisco.[24] According to People Magazine, Plank spoke at a conference in San Diego during which he was also involved in the first "all-autism" wedding where he served as DJ and best man.[25]

In 2010, Plank started an Internet television program called Autism Talk TV. The venture is sponsored by Autism Speaks.[26] Rosie O'Donnell and John Elder Robison talked about the show on Rosie Radio.[27] A front-page article from The New York Times, entitled "Navigating Love and Autism", written by Amy Harmon, was published in December 2011 about the romantic relationship between his two autistic co-hosts Jack Robison and Kirsten Lindsmith. Alex Plank, Wrong Planet, and Autism Talk TV were discussed.[28]

Plank traveled to France in February 2012 to direct a documentary exposé, entitled Shameful, concerning the way in which autism is viewed and treated in France. When the film was in post-production it was covered by publications in both France and the United States, including L'Express and Vivre FM, a radio station in Paris; a trailer was released in July 2012.[29]

Along with French activist David Heurtevent, Plank founded Autism Rights Watch, an NGO for which he serves as president.[30]

Controversies

[edit]

2005 shooting and 2006 lawsuit

[edit]

In 2006, Wrong Planet was sued by the surviving family of two murder victims. The previous year, a 19-year-old user of the site, William Freund, shot the victims before killing himself in Aliso Viejo, California. Freund had e-mailed the site and posted messages in its forums, threatening violence and suicide. The plaintiffs claimed that Wrong Planet failed to take appropriate action to warn the victims, Freund's parents or police after the threats were made. Plank claimed that volunteer moderators unsuccessfully attempted to reach out to Freund's parents.[31][32] Plank appeared on Good Morning America and Fox News discussing the incident.[citation needed]

Applied behavior analysis

[edit]

In 2024, Plank directly responded to a critical video about Ezra (the 2023 film he co-produced)[19] made by autistic content creator Jeremy Andrew Davis. In response to one of Davis' criticisms — that the film promoted the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) on autistic people — Plank stated on social media that Ezra was intended to be anti-ABA and that he considered ABA to be a form of abuse. Davis apologized to Plank in a subsequent video and took down the original one.[33]

ABA is a controversial operant-conditioning system commonly marketed as a treatment for autism and widely rejected within the autistic rights movement.[34][35][36] Plank was a frequent guest on Autism Live, a promotional web show produced by the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (a firm that administers ABA and has claimed it can result in "recovery" from autism),[37][38] from 2012 to 2021.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Asperger syndrome (Asperger's)". www.autism.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  2. ^ Hallahan, Dan (2006). Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special Education (10th ed.). Allyn & Bacon. p. 452. ISBN 0-205-44421-0.
  3. ^ Deardorff, Julie (2008-05-11). "Some Autistics Don't want to be Cured". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  4. ^ "The Autism Rights Movement". NYMag.com. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  5. ^ Harris, Lynn (2008-09-18). "The "Retarded" Renaissance". Salon.
  6. ^ Silberman, Steve (2015). NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity. Avery. p. 454. ISBN 978-1583334676.
  7. ^ Mediati, Nick (7 June 2012). "Profiles in Geekdom: Alex Plank of Wrong Planet". PCWorld. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. ^ Guthrie, Marisa (August 2, 2013). "'The Bridge' EPs and Stars Talk Asperger's, Tweaks in Season 2". The Hollywood Reporter.
  9. ^ ""The Bridge" The Crazy Place (TV Episode 2013)". Retrieved 29 January 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
  10. ^ Guthrie, Marisa (2013-08-02). "'The Bridge' EPs and Stars Talk Asperger's, Tweaks in Season 2". The Hollywood Reporter.|
  11. ^ Goldman, Eric (2013-08-06). "The Bridge Producers and Diane Kruger on Sonya's Asperger's". IGN.|
  12. ^ Dale, David (2013-07-27). "From Rain Man to The Bridge -- the art of Aspergacting". Sydney Morning Herald.|
  13. ^ a b Masters, Kim (host) (28 October 2013). "Creating Authentic Autistic TV Characters". The Business. KCRW.
  14. ^ Nguyen, Hanh (2019-01-28). "'The Good Doctor' Upends Misconceptions About Sex and Relationships on the Spectrum". IndieWire.|
  15. ^ Hay, Carla (2024-06-05). "Review: 'Ezra' (2024), starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Bryne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Tony Goldwyn, William A. Fitzgerald and Robert De Niro – CULTURE MIX". CULTURE MIX. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  16. ^ "Alex Plank". TVGuide.com. 2022-07-13. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  17. ^ Herald-Dispatch, Amanda Larch For The (2024-06-03). "Tickets available for free early screening of film about autism". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  18. ^ Heasley, Shaun (2024-05-22). "Movie Starring Actor With Autism Coming To Theaters". Disability Scoop. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  19. ^ a b Contreras, Gus (2024-06-04). "The new movie 'Ezra' stars an actor with autism playing an autistic character". NPR. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  20. ^ Solomon, Andrew (2008-05-23). "The Autism Rights Movement". New York. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  21. ^ "Making Connections Online". Archived from the original (Keynote speech) on 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
  22. ^ "Webprogram Unavailable". asa.confex.com. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Autism Society Conference Keynote with Alex Plank - LoriB.me". 22 July 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Autism, employment and more at AASCEND Conference Oct. 18". 3 October 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Meet the First Couple to Have an All-Autism Wedding: 'Autistic Children Can Grow Up and Have a Happy Life,' Says the Bride". Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  26. ^ Marc Sirkin (March 15, 2008). "Introducing Autism Talk TV". Autism Speaks.
  27. ^ Rosie Radio, September 9, 2010
  28. ^ Harmon, Amy. Navigating Love and Autism "The New York Times", December 26, 2011
  29. ^ Didier, Arthur "Shameful", la honte, le documentaire choc réalisé Alex Plank et Noah Trevino sur l'autisme en France July 16, 2012
  30. ^ Pignard, Magali Autisme: une ONG intervient sur le sol français pour dénoncer la responsabilité de l'État. September 27, 2012
  31. ^ Hann, Michael. A loaded discussion. The Guardian, November 14, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
  32. ^ Tran, Mia Relatives sue over shotgun slayings "Los Angeles Times", November 18, 2006
  33. ^ Davis, Jeremy Andrew (2024-06-13). I made errors and caused harm in my Ezra review part 1. I apologize. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via TikTok.
  34. ^ Winter, Jessica (2024-02-12). "The Argument Over a Long-Standing Autism Intervention". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  35. ^ Hawkins, Beth (2024-03-06). "America's Most Popular Autism Therapy May Not Work — and May Seriously Harm Patients' Mental Health". Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  36. ^ "The controversy over autism's most common therapy". The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives. 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  37. ^ "Pocketing Money Meant for Kids: Private Equity in Autism Services". CEPR. 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  38. ^ Autism Live (2021-12-05). Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ Autism Live (2012-12-19). Autism and Making Friends - Alex Plank and Noah Trevino on Friendship. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  40. ^ Autism Live (2013-01-04). Alex Plank on Asperger's and the Newtown Shootings. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  41. ^ Autism Live (2013-01-07). Wrong Planet's Alex Plank. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  42. ^ Autism Live (2013-03-27). Alex Plank on 1 in 50 Autism Prevalence. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  43. ^ Autism Live (2013-08-21). Autism on TV's The Bridge. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  44. ^ Autism Live (2013-12-04). Alex Plank on Micromovements and Autism. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  45. ^ Autism Live (2014-03-04). Autism Live, Tuesday March 4th, 2014. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  46. ^ Autism Live (2016-10-20). Friendly Contentions- Debating Autism Issues with Alex Plank. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  47. ^ Autism Live (2017-06-15). AASET Autistic Adult Conference- Alex Plank. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  48. ^ Autism Live (2019-02-12). Alex Plank talks to us about his role on the Good Doctor. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ Autism Live (2020-06-23). Autism Live June 23, 2020. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
  50. ^ Autism Live (2021-05-21). Actor from The Good Doctor and Founder of Wrongplanet.net Alex Plank Joins us Again. Retrieved 2025-09-22 – via YouTube.
[edit]