Photo: Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime VideoSue Ann Pienis opening up about her career path as an actress on the autism spectrum.Pien, 42, stars as Violet in Amazon Prime’sAs We See It,a new heartfelt comedy fromParenthoodandFriday Night Lightscreator Jason Katims.The series, streaming now, follows Violet, Jack (Rick Glassman) and Harrison (Albert Rutecki) — three 20-something roommates navigating life and love on the autism spectrum. The show also stars Sosie Bacon as their aide Mandy, Chris Pang as Violet’s brother Van andJoe Mantegnaas Jack’s father Lou.Pien tells PEOPLE in the latest issue that she learned to mask her autism early on in her life and became skilled at “mimicry,” which naturally led her to take acting on as a career.“I was taught from a very young age to act my way through life,” she says. “I had a really strong, uncanny ability to pick up languages and different accents and I would just mimic. I would watch how people walk and it was like character study.“Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime Video"And then I was like, I love this, I’m doing it anyway, why not do it professionally?” Pien recalls.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.However, she says playing Violet was different because she didn’t have to cover up the parts of her that are often not seen as “socially acceptable.““Growing up as a person on the spectrum, I acted to hide the things about me that were so innate,” Pien says. “For so many aspects of Violet, I didn’t really have to act. I just had to pull from my own experiences, my history, who I am, what I went through.“The actress adds, “It was cathartic in a lot of ways.“Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime VideoShe also says that she felt “cared for” on the set ofAs We See Itin a way that she hasn’t experienced before.“There’s just so many people that have been living with people all their lives who are autistic, in a very loving, intimate way, that it transferred to this natural feeling of family on set,” Pien says, specifically mentioning Katims and Mantegna, who both have adult children on the spectrum.“I felt safe. I didn’t have to hide the things about me that usually were dangerous for me to reveal,” she says.As We See Itis available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Photo: Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime Video
Sue Ann Pienis opening up about her career path as an actress on the autism spectrum.Pien, 42, stars as Violet in Amazon Prime’sAs We See It,a new heartfelt comedy fromParenthoodandFriday Night Lightscreator Jason Katims.The series, streaming now, follows Violet, Jack (Rick Glassman) and Harrison (Albert Rutecki) — three 20-something roommates navigating life and love on the autism spectrum. The show also stars Sosie Bacon as their aide Mandy, Chris Pang as Violet’s brother Van andJoe Mantegnaas Jack’s father Lou.Pien tells PEOPLE in the latest issue that she learned to mask her autism early on in her life and became skilled at “mimicry,” which naturally led her to take acting on as a career.“I was taught from a very young age to act my way through life,” she says. “I had a really strong, uncanny ability to pick up languages and different accents and I would just mimic. I would watch how people walk and it was like character study.“Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime Video"And then I was like, I love this, I’m doing it anyway, why not do it professionally?” Pien recalls.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.However, she says playing Violet was different because she didn’t have to cover up the parts of her that are often not seen as “socially acceptable.““Growing up as a person on the spectrum, I acted to hide the things about me that were so innate,” Pien says. “For so many aspects of Violet, I didn’t really have to act. I just had to pull from my own experiences, my history, who I am, what I went through.“The actress adds, “It was cathartic in a lot of ways.“Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime VideoShe also says that she felt “cared for” on the set ofAs We See Itin a way that she hasn’t experienced before.“There’s just so many people that have been living with people all their lives who are autistic, in a very loving, intimate way, that it transferred to this natural feeling of family on set,” Pien says, specifically mentioning Katims and Mantegna, who both have adult children on the spectrum.“I felt safe. I didn’t have to hide the things about me that usually were dangerous for me to reveal,” she says.As We See Itis available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
Sue Ann Pienis opening up about her career path as an actress on the autism spectrum.
Pien, 42, stars as Violet in Amazon Prime’sAs We See It,a new heartfelt comedy fromParenthoodandFriday Night Lightscreator Jason Katims.
The series, streaming now, follows Violet, Jack (Rick Glassman) and Harrison (Albert Rutecki) — three 20-something roommates navigating life and love on the autism spectrum. The show also stars Sosie Bacon as their aide Mandy, Chris Pang as Violet’s brother Van andJoe Mantegnaas Jack’s father Lou.
Pien tells PEOPLE in the latest issue that she learned to mask her autism early on in her life and became skilled at “mimicry,” which naturally led her to take acting on as a career.
“I was taught from a very young age to act my way through life,” she says. “I had a really strong, uncanny ability to pick up languages and different accents and I would just mimic. I would watch how people walk and it was like character study.”
Ali Goldstein/Amazon Prime Video
“And then I was like, I love this, I’m doing it anyway, why not do it professionally?” Pien recalls.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
However, she says playing Violet was different because she didn’t have to cover up the parts of her that are often not seen as “socially acceptable.”
“Growing up as a person on the spectrum, I acted to hide the things about me that were so innate,” Pien says. “For so many aspects of Violet, I didn’t really have to act. I just had to pull from my own experiences, my history, who I am, what I went through.”
The actress adds, “It was cathartic in a lot of ways.”
She also says that she felt “cared for” on the set ofAs We See Itin a way that she hasn’t experienced before.
“There’s just so many people that have been living with people all their lives who are autistic, in a very loving, intimate way, that it transferred to this natural feeling of family on set,” Pien says, specifically mentioning Katims and Mantegna, who both have adult children on the spectrum.
“I felt safe. I didn’t have to hide the things about me that usually were dangerous for me to reveal,” she says.
As We See Itis available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
source: people.com
