Albert Rutecki (far right) stars as Harrison in the Amazon Prime series “As We See It,” about three roommates on the autism spectrum. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS
Originally published in the Pottsville Republican-Herald on February 8, 2022.
To some, young Albert Rutecki was “shy” and “imaginative.” To others, he was “troubled” and “a problem child.” His mother said he was “in his own world.” Looking back, he agrees.
“I was very much in my own world,” Rutecki said. “Once, my grandmother found me in my backyard pretending I was a tiger walker. She didn’t understand what I was doing.”
In his Minersville home, Rutecki would line all his toys in a row and name them after family members. He repeated other people’s words at random, a condition known as echolalia. He struggled with his schoolwork and with making friends. When he was in middle school, Rutecki was diagnosed with autism. At the time, he didn’t understand what that meant.
“It helped me with creativity, and helped me be more empathetic,” he said. “I don’t experience the world like neurotypicals, I guess I just embrace that.”
Now 28, Rutecki is starring in “As We See It,” an Amazon Prime dramedy about three roommates who are all on the autism spectrum.
Going from Minersville to Hollywood was “surreal” for Rutecki, who acted in local theater productions before auditioning for the show.
“It took me all these years to become an overnight success,” he joked. “I’ve been watching TV, and I see commercials for my show pop up. It was very odd to see myself on the TV and have people reach out to me and stuff on social media. It can be overwhelming at times.”
“As We See It” did something unusual in the entertainment industry; it specifically sought out actors with autism to play the main characters.
“I think it’s weird that it’s not done more often,” he said. “When you’re autistic, you understand the character better than a neurotypical would. You approach the character better than a neurotypical would. You approach the character differently. There are a lot of good actors who are autistic, who are just trying to get roles. I’m not saying we should only play autistic characters, I don’t want to be limited to that, but that we should be given that chance.”
In “As We See It,” Rutecki plays Harrison, a young man who is not very good at expressing his feelings. As the show progresses, he begins to try new things and open himself up to the world. Both Harrison and Rutecki enjoy game shows and sometimes experience sensory overload. Rutecki said that both he and Harrison feel “stuck” as they transition into adulthood.
Albert Rutecki as Harrison on “As We See It.” PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS
On the set of “As We See It,” Rutecki learned about other people’s experiences with autism, and how they were similar and different to his own. His co-star Rick Glassman wasn’t diagnosed until he was an adult, and wanted to learn as much as he could about autism. Rutecki would sometimes get nervous and rock back and forth, a calming behavior referred to as “stimming.” Those around him understood exactly what he was doing.
“I didn’t have to explain myself,” he said. “So often I have to explain my behavior, or just hide it. I didn’t have to do that in this case.”
His casting director couldn’t believe that he wasn’t diagnosed until middle school.
“Why did it take so long?” She said. “It’s so obvious.”
Rutecki’s acting career began when he was in the fourth grade and in Catholic school. After failing a religion test, the teacher told him he could get extra credit if he played the young Saint Casimir in a church play. He was the only child who memorized all of his lines.
“I remember just loving this and thinking ‘I want to do more of this,’ he said.”
Rutecki performed in Nativity BVM High School’s musicals, and acted in a community theater group, the Strawberry Players. At the time, he was going through a depression.
“I got to do something fun and fulfilling when I wasn’t feeling my best.”
His cousin, a graduate student, was working on a film set when a co-worker told her about a show that was looking for actors with autism. Rutecki sent a video audition and he got a callback.
“It was my first audition for a TV show,” he said. “As much as I love theater, I really wanted to do TV and film stuff. It was very exciting for me.”
On set, Rutecki saw firsthand the differences between TV and theater acting.
“With theater, you’re acting directly to the audience,” he said, “and their reaction to the performance can change how you act in the moment. With TV acting, you have to be on top of that being removed.”
Rutecki would love to star in a horror movie someday. For now, he hopes “As We See It” is “another step forward” for depictions of autism in the media.
“We are three-dimensional people,” he said, “we have our own thoughts and feelings and troubles and joys and lives.”
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