After a long hiatus, Neurodiversity News is back with another interview! This week, we interview Lillian Carrier, who plays Drea on the show Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. She’s also an advocate and founder of the organization OurTism.
Neurodiversity News: Tell me about yourself and what you do.
Lillian Carrier: Describing yourself is a really hard thing to do. I am Autistic. I love research and biology. I love animals. I try to look on the positive side of things but tend to find that difficult to do. I am currently pursuing an acting career. I play the role of Drea on Freeform’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay.” I also founded a nonprofit called OurTism that supports autistic adults and teens.
NN: What got you to start OurTism?
LC: The main reason was I personally needed it. Reaching adulthood, there is just so little support out there. I tried everything and all the programs were so rigid. You had to fit in this perfect box and no matter how hard I tried, I didn’t. Eventually I reached a point where I started coming up with ideas for what I wanted and searched for it everywhere. When I couldn’t find it, my family sat down and asked “why not make it?” and eventually that turned into OurTism.
NN: The goal of Ourtism is quite noble and needed in our society. How successful has Ourtism been in helping autistic people and their families?
LC: OurTism has been EXTREMELY successful. I’m not saying it’s perfect for everybody. But we try extremely hard to individualize our programs and provide a safe space to accommodate as many as possible. I have seen so many clients flourish and grow to be the incredible person that was always there. They just needed a little boost. I have seen people reach their goals, find incredible strengths, learn new skills, and find the ability to make friends. I am so grateful to be a part of these people’s journey and hope to keep doing good in the world.
NN: You and Kayla Cromer have made history with your roles in Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. It’s not often autistic actors get to play autistic characters. Has playing Drea gotten you to evolve as a person in any way?
LC: And Carsen Warner, everyone forgets about Jeremy. I don’t know if Drea has influenced me that much. I do strive to be as patient, kind and understanding as she is. But a lot of Drea is based on myself. I would say that the reaction I have gotten from fans has made me realize how much less alone I am in the world. So many people see themselves in Drea who haven’t before felt represented. Hearing stories and the way people feel about it has made me even more determined to get my voice out there. Misrepresentation is such a problem and I hope that my little voice can cause some cracks and start a bigger change to get our stories heard loud, clear, and accurately.
NN: Who are your greatest inspirations?
LC: That’s such a tough one. There are just very few people in this world that I truly relate to. I would say there are people who have inspired small and large parts of my life to make me who I am. Danny Raede was one who showed me what I was capable of. He believed in me and my family and pushed for OurTism to exist. Seeing what he accomplished in his life and hearing how well he understood himself and could communicate it, helped me find my voice to do the same. Steve Neumann has been a big influence on my life. He’s been a part of my life since I was a tiny toddler.
Discovering a summer camp he worked at was the first time I truly felt like I belonged. I was accepted for who I was with no questions. He taught me important life skills and showed me what I was capable of in life. Because of him and Sunset Theatre Company, I can stand tall, advocate for myself and know my own worth. It’s also a place of some of the happiest memories of my life.
NN: What do you hope to achieve in the future?
LC: That’s a big question. I have achieved a lot in my life so far. I only have so much time to give. I guess I hope to continue making good in the world anyway I can. I hope I can continue acting and telling important stories or at least making people feel something. I hope OurTism keeps providing a safe space to grow, learn, and make friends. As long as people keep finding it important and supporting it, I think it will. In my personal life, I hope to always have good friends and maybe find love and have a family one day. I really do want to be a parent. There is something so amazing about nurturing a human.