Famous autistic people: names from science, the arts and sport

Page summary

There are many famous autistic people, some diagnosed as children and others only as adults. Each person listed here has spoken about being autistic or had a diagnosis reported publicly. People from history can’t be diagnosed after their death, so claims about them stay guesses. Some public figures have both autism and ADHD, which many people call AuDHD. Savant syndrome is rare, and most autistic people don’t have any savant skill. The list is for recognition, not a claim that autism makes anyone famous. AuDHD Psychiatry assesses adults for autism online, in two appointments.

Hearing someone you admire say “I’m autistic” can make your own questions feel a lot less strange. It can matter most if you were diagnosed late in life, or if you’re still wondering. Dr Darren O’Reilly has ADHD and autism himself. The people below show how wide the range is, and none of them sets a standard you’re meant to reach.

At a glance

• How the list was made: every person named has spoken publicly about being autistic or had a diagnosis reported, and each has a source.
• Diagnosed at any age: some of the people here were diagnosed as children, and others as adults.
• Autism and ADHD: ADHD is more common in autistic people than in other people.
• Savant syndrome: it’s rare, and most autistic people don’t have it.

How this list was made

Everyone on this list has talked about being autistic, or had a diagnosis reported. We read each public source on 30/09/2026, and the numbered list at the end shows where each fact comes from. AuDHD Psychiatry doesn’t add anyone because other people have guessed. Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is something you’re born with, and it isn’t an illness [1]. Our guide explains what autism is in more detail.

A biography can’t settle the question either. Under NICE guidance, trained professionals assess autism and observe the person directly [2]. They also speak to someone who knows the person well, or read records of early development. Some sources use the older word Asperger’s, and we’ve kept it where they did. Our guides to level 1 autism and Asperger’s explain both terms. Hannah Gadsby put the point of a list like this well: “Please stop expecting people with autism to be exceptional. It is a basic human right to have average abilities” [3].

Famous autistic people in science and technology

Three well-known figures from science, economics and broadcasting have spoken about being autistic. Temple Grandin is a US animal scientist and a leading voice on autism [4]. Her 1986 book, Emergence: Labeled Autistic, broke barriers, and in it she first described her sensory issues [4].

Vernon Smith, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, has said he has Asperger’s syndrome [5]. In a television interview, he talked about its deficiencies and what he called its “selective advantages”. Closer to home, Chris Packham is a naturalist and TV presenter [6]. His 2017 BBC Two documentary, Chris Packham: Asperger’s and Me, was about his own experience. Each of the three spoke or wrote about it in public, in their own words.

Famous autistic people in the arts, film and music

Actors, singers and comedians are the largest group here, and each entry uses the words of its source.

Name	Known for	What’s on record
Anthony Hopkins	Actor	Revealed an Asperger’s diagnosis in 2017 [7]
Daryl Hannah	Actor	Told People magazine about autism since childhood [8]
Paddy Considine	Actor and director	Was told in 2011 that he had Asperger’s [9]
Sia	Singer	Revealed an autism diagnosis in 2023 [10]
Susan Boyle	Singer	Spoke in 2013 about her Asperger’s diagnosis [11]
Gary Numan	Musician	A child psychologist found he had Asperger’s at about 14 [12]
Stephen Wiltshire	Artist	Diagnosed with autism aged three; draws cities from memory [13][14]
Hannah Gadsby	Comedian	Spoke in 2022 about an autism diagnosis [3]
Fern Brady	Comedian	Her memoir, Strong Female Character, describes years of undiagnosed autism [15]

If you’ve seen a name on other lists and it isn’t here, we couldn’t check a reliable source for it on 30/09/2026. That isn’t a judgement about the person. Some people shared their diagnosis in a single interview, while others wrote a whole book about it.

Famous autistic people in sport and public life

Autistic athletes, presenters and campaigners have spoken about it in public too. Jessica-Jane Applegate, a former Paralympic swimmer, has Asperger’s syndrome [16]. She was 16 when she won the S14 200m freestyle final at London 2012, and the win led to an MBE.

Greta Thunberg, the climate campaigner, has written publicly about her Asperger’s diagnosis [17]. She said she hadn’t been open about it before because many people still see it as “something negative”. Melanie Sykes, a TV presenter, learned she was autistic at 51 and described the diagnosis as life-affirming [18]. Anne Hegerty, a quizzer on The Chase, spoke about her Asperger’s on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 [19]. Christine McGuinness, a TV personality, was diagnosed at 33 and has spoken about hiding her autism to fit in [20].

Famous autistic people in history

Nobody can say whether Einstein or anyone else from history was autistic. Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol and Emily Dickinson have all been suggested as possibly having Asperger’s [5]. One 2004 paper went as far as arguing that Michelangelo met the criteria [21]. Each of those claims is a guess, not a diagnosis, because an assessment can’t be done after someone has died.

Firmer ground comes from autistic people who wrote about their own lives, as Temple Grandin did in Emergence [4]. Donna Williams wrote about her own autism in books such as Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free from the World of Autism [22][23]. Their books come from the people themselves, which no biography of a long-dead figure can offer.

Famous people with AuDHD

Two people on this list have said they’re both autistic and have ADHD. AuDHD is the word many people use for that combination, and our guide explains what AuDHD means. ADHD is more common in autistic people than in others, the NHS says [1].

Jack Monroe, the food writer and campaigner, was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 11 [24]. Support only came in adult life, after a visit to the doctor about something else. Chloé Hayden, the Australian actor who plays Quinni in Netflix’s Heartbreak High, received an autism diagnosis at 13 [25]. Her psychologist added ADHD some years later. She has said, “I do have two quite contradictory parts of my mind” [25].

Savant syndrome: what it is and what it is not

Savant syndrome is a rare condition, and it isn’t limited to autism. In savant syndrome, someone with a serious developmental disability, such as autism, has an “island of genius” [26]. The skill stands out sharply against their other difficulties. In a 2009 review, Darold Treffert found such abilities, to some degree, in up to 1 in 10 autistic people [26].

The same condition also appears with other developmental disabilities, and after an injury or disease of the brain. The second kind is known as acquired savant syndrome. Whatever the skill, it’s always linked to a very strong memory [26]. Kim Peek, the real-life inspiration for the film Rain Man, memorised more than 6,000 books [26]. His skills sat alongside major brain differences, including a missing corpus callosum, the link between the brain’s two halves [26]. Daniel Tammet, a writer diagnosed with autism as a young adult, told his own story in Born on a Blue Day [27]. Most autistic people have an ordinary mix of strengths and difficulties, and a list of famous names doesn’t change that.

Could you be autistic? How to find out

You can look into it without a GP referral, starting with something small.

An assessment may help if:

• you recognise yourself in what these people describe.
• the differences have been with you since childhood.
• you’ve wondered for years and want a clear answer.

It might not be right today if:

• you need urgent help now. Call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or in Northern Ireland call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, any time. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E [28].
• you’re under 18, where our child autism assessment applies.

If parts of these stories felt close to home, our free autism test is a quiet place to start. It’s a screen, not a diagnosis. For a full answer, the adult autism assessment at AuDHD Psychiatry is the next step.

Questions people ask

Which famous people are autistic?

Many well-known people have said publicly that they’re autistic. They include the actor Anthony Hopkins [7], the singer Sia [10] and the naturalist Chris Packham [6]. Hopkins won the best actor Oscar in 2021 as an openly autistic actor. Sia made her diagnosis public in 2023, and Packham made a BBC Two documentary about his own experience. The rest of the people named here work in science, comedy, sport and campaigning.

Was Einstein autistic?

No one knows whether Einstein was autistic. He’s one of several famous names thought to have had Asperger’s [5], but nobody can be assessed after their death. So treat claims about any historical figure as guesses, however often you see them repeated. A famous name makes a claim travel further online, but it doesn’t make it any more reliable.

Were any of these people diagnosed as adults?

Yes, several were diagnosed as adults. Melanie Sykes was diagnosed at 51 [18], and Fern Brady at 34 [15]. NICE guidance sets out how adults are assessed, including questions about features you had as a child [2]. If you’ve wondered about it for years, you haven’t left it too late. A late answer can still help you make sense of things.

Are there famous autistic people in the UK?

Yes, many famous autistic people in the UK have spoken about it publicly. They include the quizzer Anne Hegerty [19] and the artist Stephen Wiltshire, born in west London [13]. The Scottish comedian Fern Brady [15] and the Paralympic swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate [16] are two more. Applegate won her 200m freestyle final at London 2012.

What is the autism awareness symbol?

The puzzle piece is widely used as an autism awareness symbol [29]. A 2018 study of 400 people found that puzzle pieces prompt negative associations, such as incompleteness and imperfection [29]. The study found this for autism logos and for plain puzzle pieces alike. Our guide to autism symbols and what they mean covers the other symbols people use.

What is acquired savant syndrome?

Acquired savant syndrome is savant skill that appears after brain injury or disease [26]. In the other form, the skill sits alongside a developmental disability such as autism. In both forms, whatever the skill is, it’s tied to a very strong memory [26]. The word “acquired” simply marks when and how the skill showed up, rather than how strong it is.

In short

Each name on this page rests on the person’s own public words or a reported diagnosis, with a source to check. Famous figures from history can only ever be guesses, however often they’re named. Savant skills are uncommon, and most autistic people have an everyday mix of strengths and struggles. If you’ve seen something of yourself here, AuDHD Psychiatry can help you find out more, at a pace that suits you.

Related

• one assessment for ADHD and autism together
• sensory processing differences

Sources

1. NHS, What is autism?, page last reviewed 6 May 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/what-is-autism/ (read 30/09/2026)
2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), guideline CG142, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, published 27 June 2012, last updated 14 June 2021. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142/chapter/Recommendations (read 30/09/2026)
3. The Guardian, Hannah Gadsby, “Hannah Gadsby on her autism diagnosis: ‘I’ve always been plagued by a sense that I was a little out of whack’”, 19 March 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/mar/19/hannah-gadsby-autism-diagnosis-little-out-of-whack (read 30/09/2026)
4. Boston University, BU Today, article announcing a talk by Temple Grandin at Boston University, 17 March 2022. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/autism-advocate-scientist-temple-grandin-to-speak-at-bu/ (read 30/09/2026)
5. NBC News, “Mild autism has ‘selective advantages’”, February 2005. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7030731 (read 30/09/2026)
6. BBC Two, Chris Packham: Asperger’s and Me, programme page, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09b1zbb, and The Guardian, review, 18 October 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/18/chris-packham-aspergers-and-me-review-brave-ballsy-film (both read 30/09/2026)
7. Slate, Marissa Martinelli, “Anthony Hopkins Oscar win: The autistic actor made history for more than his age”, 26 April 2021. https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/anthony-hopkins-oscars-2021-best-actor-autism-aspergers.html (read 30/09/2026)
8. TODAY, Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, “Daryl Hannah: I’ve battled autism since childhood”, 27 September 2013. https://www.today.com/popculture/daryl-hannah-ive-battled-autism-childhood-8C11278435 (read 30/09/2026)
9. The Guardian, interview with Paddy Considine, 7 September 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/07/paddy-considine-actor-i-was-portrayed-angry-i-was-just-ill (read 30/09/2026)
10. Rolling Stone, “Sia Reveals Autism Diagnosis 2 Years After Controversial Film: ‘I Have Become Fully Myself’”, 30 May 2023. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sia-reveals-autism-diagnosis-1234743900 (read 30/09/2026)
11. The Observer, Catherine Deveney, interview in which Susan Boyle talks about her Asperger’s diagnosis, 8 December 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/08/susan-boyle-autism (read 30/09/2026)
12. The Guardian, Michael Segalov, Gary Numan in his own words, 28 April 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/28/gary-numan-eye-contact-is-something-i-find-incredibly-difficult (read 30/09/2026)
13. The Independent, “My secret life: Stephen Wiltshire, artist, 34”, 24 January 2009. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/my-secret-life-stephen-wiltshire-artist-34-1488487.html (read 30/09/2026)
14. The New York Times, Media Decoder, on Stephen Wiltshire’s city panoramas, 12 May 2011. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/this-billboard-could-draw-attention/ (read 30/09/2026)
15. The Guardian, Fiona Sturges, review of Strong Female Character by Fern Brady, 29 March 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/29/strong-female-character-by-fern-brady-review-moving-account-of-undiagnosed-autism (read 30/09/2026)
16. BBC Sport, “Jessica-Jane Applegate: Double Paralympic gold medallist retires”, 5 December 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/articles/clyx8l3d58eo (read 30/09/2026)
17. The Guardian, “Greta Thunberg responds to Asperger’s critics: ‘It’s a superpower’”, 2 September 2019, quoting her own post. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/02/greta-thunberg-responds-to-aspergers-critics-its-a-superpower (read 30/09/2026)
18. The Guardian, Nadia Khomami, “TV presenter Melanie Sykes announces ‘life-affirming’ autism diagnosis”, 16 November 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/16/tv-presenter-melanie-sykes-announces-life-affirming-autism-diagnosis (read 30/09/2026)
19. BBC News, Newsbeat, “I’m A Celeb’s Anne Hegerty opens up about Asperger’s”, 20 November 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-46272608 (read 30/09/2026)
20. Liverpool Echo, Kate Lally, on Christine McGuinness, 10 April 2022. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/christine-mcguinness-admits-hiding-autism-23653345 (read 30/09/2026)
21. Arshad M, Fitzgerald M, “Did Michelangelo (1475-1564) have high-functioning autism?”, Journal of Medical Biography, 2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15079170/ (abstract read 30/09/2026)
22. Donna Williams, blog, “Autism; it ain’t all physical”, 29 September 2007. http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2007/09/29/autism-it-aint-all-physical/ (read 30/09/2026)
23. Open Library, Donna Williams, Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free from the World of Autism, first published 1994. https://openlibrary.org/works/OL2205288W (read 30/09/2026)
24. i news, interview with Jack Monroe, 24 August 2018. https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/jack-monroe-katie-hopkins-recipes-austerity-cookbooks-vegan-interview-190212 (read 30/09/2026)
25. ABC News (Australia), on Chloé Hayden, 30 July 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-30/heartbreak-high-chloe-hayden-road-to-fame-compass/102620342 (read 30/09/2026)
26. Treffert DA, “The savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future”, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2009, review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2677584/ (full text read 30/09/2026)
27. Daniel Tammet’s own website, Bio. https://danieltammet.net/bio/ (read 30/09/2026)
28. nidirect, Mental health emergency: if you’re in crisis or despair. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/mental-health-emergency-if-youre-crisis-or-despair (read 29/09/2026)
29. Gernsbacher MA, Raimond AR, Stevenson JL, Boston JS, Harp B, “Do puzzle pieces and autism puzzle piece logos evoke negative associations?”, Autism, 2018, study of 400 participants. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6085079/ (abstract read 30/09/2026)

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Last updated: 13 October 2026