Budding actor shows autism is no bar to success
WHEN 10-year old Charlie Lock was asked to talk about a subject close to his heart for an acting audition, the decision was easy.
The budding TV actor used his latest audition tape to open up about the reality of living with autism.
And after releasing the tape online, Charlie has been overwhelmed by the response.
In the video, seen more than 12,000 times, Charlie performs a monologue talking about his determination to become an actor.
He said: “What am I passionate about? Autism. People say it’s a disability, I don’t agree.
“I can’t ride a bike but I’m a good skiier.
“People think that if you have autism you can’t succeed but I want to show people that you can. Im smart, I ski, I’m a good actor and I play the piano.
“Great things can happen to us too.”
For Charlie, from Quakers Yard in Merthyr Tydfil, the audition follows after appearing in programmes including Sherlock and comedy sitcom Trollied.
Charlie’s mum Cerys said: “I put the video on Facebook and it’s had 12,000 views. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s going a bit crazy at the moment.”
According to Cerys, Charlie’s love of TV acting came as a surprise to his family after an initial fear of performing in public.
The mum-of-one said: “In school he never did school concerts or Christmas concerts.
“He refused to do anything in public like that, but in the house he was always singing and prancing around the place, but never in front of anyone.
Charlie’s big break came after a cousin applied on his behalf for a role in a TV advert.
From there, the Abercynon Community Primary School pupil was taken on by Cardiff drama school Shelley Norton Management.
Cerys, 43, said: “Charlie doesn’t like the theatre but loves TV acting, public speaking and monologues. He’s like a different person.”
Charlie’s success in the world of acting comes after he was diagnosed with autism at the age of four.
Cerys said: “I was a health visitor so I knew when he was about eight months old – I was sure something wasn’t right.
“At 18 months old he was extremely verbal and you could have a full-on conversation but there was no hope of toilet training.
“By the time he went to school you could see the difference, he couldn’t cope with big groups.
“In the first year he went to A&E 17 times from school. It was just little things, like he would fall over or run into something.”
At only two years old, Charlie also started to learn the piano as a calming technique.
His mum said: “When he was two-and-a-half years old he went to Meithrin in Nelson. At that point he was quite destructive.
“They put him on a piano stool and he just started doing the scales.”
To help him perform on set, Charlie is given extra support by his management company.
Cerys said: “If he goes on set, they will negotiate with the directors.
“They let me go on set, but normally they are quite strict with things like that.
“When he’s playing different characters, people don’t judge him.
“He can’t tie his shoelaces – but remembering lines he’s great.”