Autistic Talia’s a TV soaperstar
TEENAGER Talia Grant has become the first autistic actress to land a job in a major TV soap after signing up to join Hollyoaks.
Talia, 16, will play Brooke Hathaway , a pupil of Hollyoaks High under the supervision of formidable headmistress Sally St Claire.
Brooke, who will first appear in June, is also autistic.
Talia tells Square Eyes: “I am so excited to be joining Hollyoaks. I have met some of the cast and being on set was fun. Everyone was supernice and made me feel welcome.
“For a long while there has been no representation on screen of autistic women, especially autistic women of colour.
“I am really looking forward to developing the character of Brooke and representing something that perhaps people are unaware of.” Hollyoaks bosses worked with The National Autistic Society to research the character and Access All Areas to help with the auditioning and casting.
Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood says: “We are delighted the search for Brooke uncovered brilliant new talent in Talia, whose auditions were joyful. She will bring a new, different voice into the show. “Brooke is a strong character who has a solid handle on what it means to be a teenage girl with autism. “The best way to describe Brooke’s autism is to say that she experiences the world a hundred times more intensely than other people.”