‘Covert Affairs’ Star Opens Up To Disability Scoop About Son’s Autism
Memphis, Tenn., — Just a few years ago actor Christopher Gorham didn’t know much at all about disabilities. Today, however, he’s front and center on USA Network’s “Covert Affairs” as Auggie Anderson, a CIA agent who lost his sight while on assignment. And in real life the father of three is no stranger to the disability community either. Gorham’s son Lucas, 10, was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
Now in a revealing interview with Disability Scoop ahead of the season premiere of “Covert Affairs,” (Tuesday at 10/9 central) Gorham talks openly about what it’s like to portray a character with a disability and his personal experience learning about his son’s diagnosis.
“It’s upsetting to hear that something is wrong with your child. At the same time, it’s a relief to know what’s wrong with your child because if you know what’s wrong then you can start to take steps to help them,” Gorham said about his son’s recent diagnosis.
Gorham says it’s been tough for his family to adjust to all of the new therapies and obligations that come with a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism, especially since he’s frequently away to shoot “Covert Affairs.” Nonetheless, Gorham says his family is lucky.
“I don’t think of him as my son with Asperger’s. I think of him as my son. He’s not wrong. He’s not broken. He is who he is. We, as his parents, are going to do our best — as we do with all of our kids — to give him the best shot at having the best life he can,” Gorham says.
As for taking on the role of Auggie Anderson, Gorham admits that playing a character who’s blind has been challenging, but very rewarding.
“When I auditioned for the part I didn’t know any more about the blind community than most people do. I showed up with sunglasses on for my audition and the first thing they told me was, ‘can you please take those off?’ So it was very much a learning experience for me,” Gorham says.
To read the complete interview, visit Disability Scoop
About Disability Scoop
Founded in 2008, Disability Scoop is the nation’s premier source for developmental disability news. With daily coverage of autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and more, no other news source offers a more timely and comprehensive take on the issues that matter to the developmental disability community. For more information, contact media@disabilityscoop.com.