August 20, 2025 • 18 mins
Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures!
In this episode, Chloé Hayden tells us how she overcame obstacles, and built her dream life as an actor. She even shares how she turned what some others saw as a challenge, into her superpower. Tune in to find out how Chloé went from playing Princess Aspien on her YouTube channel to starring in a hit Netflix TV show and more!
This is a co-listening podcast for parents and kids to enjoy together.
She Built That was made in partnership with LEGO Girls.
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CREDITS:
Host: Annaliese Todd
Audio Producer and Writer: Thom Lion
Producer: Tina Matalov
Script Consultant: Jacob Round
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello future Builders, and
welcome to She Built That, the podcast where we discover
incredible women who didn't just dream big, they built their futures.
(00:34):
Every episode we'll explore how these amazing women stack their talents,
overcame obstacles, and created something spectacular that changed the world.
I'm your host, Annals Todd, MoMA MIA's lifestyle writer and
head of the Dreaming Department. Now, before we activate this episode,
can you guess who we're talking about today? Okay, Mom
(00:56):
and dad switch on now. You don't want to get
beaten here, think about your pride. Clue number one. This
young builder is an actress who portrays an autistic character
in a hit Netflix series and is proudly or Tis
stick herself. Clue number two. Her hair color has been
various forms of red, and she's a big one direction fan.
(01:22):
Clue number three. She wrote a book called Different Not
Less and has won an Audience Choice Award at the
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. Can you
guess who it is? How'd you go If you guessed
(01:43):
Chloe Hayden, You're spot on. Today we're talking about actress, author,
and disability rights activist Chloe Hayden, who's building a more
inclusive world by championing authentic representation for neurodivergent people one
conversation at a time. So get ready to embrace your individuality.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
After this, the audition room.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Was bright and humming with nervous energy, But for Chloe,
the world seemed to shrink to the size of her
own heartbeat. Her hands trembled as she clutched the script.
This was the moment she dreamed of, but also the
one she feared most. Would they understand her? Would they
see her for who she truly was? As the casting
(02:33):
director called her name, Chloe took in a deep breath,
feeling the weight of every time she'd ever been told
she was too different, too much, not enough. And then
she stepped forward. Picture this a young girl in Australia
feeling like she's crash landed on an alien planet. That
(02:56):
was Chloe Hayden, And for real, everyone else may as
well have spoken alien, because that's how it felt at times.
From the very start, Chloe knew she was different. The
world around her felt loud and can fusing, eye contact, weird,
small talk even weirder. And why did everyone seem to
(03:17):
expect her to fit into a box that just didn't
feel natural. I mean, most adults spend half their lives
in meetings about thinking outside the box, but kids are
just expected to get in and stay there. But there
was one thing that Chloe discovered that made her feel
right at home, and that was acting. So she would
(03:37):
escape into film and so mister mcgorriam's wonder implorium would
always make her smile.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The store we can be upstairs immediately.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Now we all need something to make us dream and
feel good about ourselves. So I asked Chloe why performing
was so special to.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Her growing up. I always knew that I wanted to
do something in the entertainment space. I wanted to be
a singer. I wanted to be an actor. I wanted
to be on stage and perform and play pretend because weirdly,
by playing pretend, I felt more myself than I did
any other time.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Chloe found freedom in practicing characters behind closed doors. But
still her early years were anything but easy, and by
the time she was thirteen, She'd already attended ten different
schools yep Ten and eventually Chloe's parents decided to homeschool
her to protect her well being. It was at this
time Chloe got a diagnosis she was autistic. Now, autism
(04:41):
is a natural variation in how human brains work, not
a flaw, just a different way of experiencing and processing
the world. Later, she'd also learned she had ADHD. I
asked Chloe Worter, it was light getting this news and
how it made her feel.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Being diagnosed as autistic as a thirteen year old girl
was really scary in some ways and really validating in others.
Growing up in a really tiny country town, autism wasn't
really something that people knew about, and when they saw me,
they definitely didn't see what their expectation of autism was,
(05:20):
and that made being autistic feel somehow even more isolating.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
But through it all, Chloe still dreamed of becoming a performer,
even as she struggled relating to people outside of the home.
She would watch her favorite performers and then try to
emulate their mannerisms, always building on her acting skills. Her
dad would drive her to acting lessons and community plays too.
This was the one place where Chloe could find her
(05:48):
own self expression. It lit her up inside. I wanted
to know what Chloe loves about acting and why having
someone else write the rules can sometimes be the most
freeing thing of all.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
There's something about performing, whether it be on stage or
in front of a camera, that just takes me to
my happy play. I mean, I get to literally play
pretend as a job. Would that not be everyone's half
your plays? But there's just something so wonderful for me
as a neurodivergent person where the lines are written for me,
(06:22):
my emotions are written for me. I don't have to
play this game and figure out what I'm supposed to
be or how other people are expecting me to be.
I just get to do what the words on the
paper say and play pretend. And there's something so oddly
freeing about doing that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So let's call a spade a spade here. Teenage short is.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Hard enough trying to find your identity, but Chloe's teens
were next level tricky, being isolated from her peers and
abandoned by some friends for not acting how others thought
was normal.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And for all you mums and dads out there, just
think back to that one year of truly questionable fashion
and blue eyeshadow. Perhaps that you survived and we salute you, but.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
This was truly a time Chloe felt everything was stacked
against her, but she continued to stack on layers of
expression in any way possible, even outside of acting. Chloe
was embracing her own unique, if you will, magnetism, and
she decided to tell her own story to see if
(07:31):
anyone else out there could relate to her experiences, starting
an anonymous blog under the name Princess Aspian, hoping maybe,
just maybe someone out there would understand. To her surprise,
thousands of people did. Messages poured in from kids and
teens who felt just like her, different, alone and desperate
(07:52):
for acceptance. Chloe realized she wasn't alone after all. Soon
Chloe was building a community, and her difference was her superpower.
I asked her about the moment she discovered she wasn't
as alone as she thought, and how that changed everything.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
When I started my online blog, I wasn't expecting people
to see themselves in me. I was hoping to see
myself in other people. I was desperately reaching out, desperate
to find one person who made me feel like I
wasn't from an alien planet and that I was supposed
(08:33):
to be here, and many, many people reached out and
responded to my blog, and the rest is history. But
that initial realization that if I was from an alien planet,
there was millions of people out there that were from
the same planet was instrumental in my growth and instrumental
(08:54):
in my understanding that I was supposed to be here
and that I was supposed to exist, And people like
me have existed for as long as humankind have and
they will exist for as long as human kind will.
It is so important for people to be able to
see themselves and to be a to have an understanding
that their brain is supposed to be here and that
(09:15):
they are supposed to exist, and that community and that
social aspect of being able to find that is life changing. Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Her blog led her to YouTube, where she made videos
about her life as an autistic girl.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Hi guys, my name's Chloe. I know I've knowned princes
asking executive functioning, what's that?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Don't know her?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
She looked.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
She became a powerful voice for neurodiversity, showing the world
that being different wasn't just okay, it was amazing. As
her online momentum snowboard, Chloe grew more confident in who
she was. She embraced what made her different instead of
trying to fit in. As the years passed, her acting
career was moving slowly but still growing. She did roles
(10:00):
in theater, plays and short films, but was yet to
find her big break. But in twenty twenty one, at
age twenty four, something incredible happened. Chloe was invited to
audition for a role as an autistic team called Quinnie
on a new Netflix show called Heartbreak High.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I knew the second that I saw Quinnie's character that
she was mine. I was actually competing at a cowboy
event in Bonnie Doon when it got sent through to me,
and I knew I had to get this job. And
so there's actually a video of me circulating somewhere of
(10:41):
my mouth moving while I'm doing this competition, and my
mouth is moving practicing the script in the middle of
me competing. I sent it off and I was hounding
my manager almost daily being like, do you know anything yet?
Have I got the job? Is the next stage of
the audition coming like do you know anything? And lo
(11:02):
and behold, I got a second audition, and then I
got an audition in front of the cast and producers,
and the directors and the producers of the show.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
This was a dream role for Chloe, and she knew
she had to nail the audition. But then, yes, Sue
turned up at the front door, all uninvited.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Self doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Hello, just like that relative who shows up at Christmas
but never RSVPs. So arriving at the audition, questions arose
in her mind. Would they really get her? Would they
like her, love her for who she truly was? As
the casting director called her name, the blinding lights shone
in her eyes, just for some extra pressure if there
(11:42):
wasn't already enough, and everyone there began to murmur. Chloe
took a deep breath, and then, with a quiet confidence,
she stepped forward, letting her authentic self shine.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Through every word, every gesture.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Channeling years of feeling misunderstood into Quinnie's vulnerability and strength.
When she finished, the room was silent for a beat.
Everyone was in awe. Chloe had done it. She hadn't
just played the part, she owned it, turning her difference
into her greatest power.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
This might seem naive to say, but I do truly
believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I
could go back in time and take away little Chloe's pain,
I would in a heartbeat. But I can't do that,
and so I have to believe that the pain that
I went through growing up made me the person that
I am today and gave me the opportunity and the
(12:39):
life experience to be able to perform Quinny the way
that I do.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Working with the director, Chloe helped shape Quinny's character, crafting
and stacking layer upon layer, making sure she was real, honest,
and nothing like the stereotypes she'd seen growing up.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
When I got the role of Quinny, I knew straightaway
that she obviously was autistic. Originally she was just neurodivergent, coded,
I believe, And when I got the job, I had
discussions with the pre duces and the directors and told
them how important it was to me that Quinny wasn't
coded autistic, because we have enough coded characters. We need
(13:17):
to see an actual, real life underlined bold. I tell
a sized this person is autistic on screen, and so
I was really lucky to be able to work with
them to help create this character that we know and
that we love today, but we also had the most
incredible autism consultants. Quinny was written by an autistic person,
(13:39):
and I think she shows the importance of representation not
just in front of the camera, but behind the camera,
to make sure that experiences truly are and the characters
that we are seeing truly are a real version of
a person, and that real people can look at these
characters and go, oh my gosh, I see myself. And
(14:00):
I think Quinny is the perfect example of that.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
The audience and critics loved Quinni. Chloe had made this
character so authentic and real, and for the first time,
kids like Chloe saw themselves on screen.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
I don't want to be a burden, but I've never
given any time or wanting to prepare. It's just not fair.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Chloe won an Actor Award for her performance and was
nominated for a Logi Award. She made history, but more importantly,
she gave hope to thousands of neurodivergent young people who
felt invisible. After the success of Heartbreak High, it became
clear there was a void to be filled for a
(14:42):
neurodivergent voice to raise awareness so that people like her
would be better understood well Chloe stepped on into that
space like a perfectly cast lead. Word by word, page
after page, she poured her heart, experience, and knowledge into
her debut novel, and it was a best seller. If
(15:03):
you don't mind called different not less. Sharing her journey
and encouraging others to embrace who they are, she became
a motivational speaker, traveling the world to talk about autism, kindness,
and the magic of being yourself. Today, Chloe Hayden is
a role model for kids everywhere. She's shown that you
(15:23):
don't have to fit in to make a difference. In fact,
it's the people who stand out, who dare to be
themselves who changed the world. So what's Chloe's advice to
young people looking to embrace their individuality?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Learning that I was autistic and having that diagnosis was
so incredibly powerful, And I wish that I could go
back and tell thirteen year old Chloe, or even younger
than that, who wasn't diagnosed with anything, and be able
to tell her that she has got such an incredibly
bright future. And most importantly, what I want every young
(16:00):
person to know that has ever felt different is their
brain is exactly how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
I've always seen dreams as you need to dream as
big as you possibly can, because everything that I am
currently living and doing was beyond.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
What expectations were for me. But I dreamed for it
and it happens.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So the next time you feel out of place or
worried about what others think of you, remember Chloe Hayden,
the girl who turned society's walls into stepping stones, paving
her own way to become a performer and a voice
for change.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yep, she built that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Gosh. Thinking about Chloe's story, I know I've had many
times where I felt that urge to change myself just
to fit in with everyone else, don't stand out, particularly
at school. It can be hard to not go with
the flow. But this week, let's flip that like Chloe did.
Now it's your turn. I've got a challenge for you.
(17:08):
It's called the Celebrate your Difference Challenge. Bit of a mouthful,
isn't it, But I do think Chloe's right. Embracing what
makes you you is a far better path to happiness
than trying to follow others. Here's the challenge. Think of
one thing that makes you unique. Maybe it's a special interest,
(17:28):
a talent, or even just the way you see the world.
Maybe it's a thought or opinion that's a little bit different.
Write it down, draw a picture about it, or tell
a friend or family member. When I was at school,
I was told I was too much and I talk
too much. And now I'm talking on a podcast that's
(17:50):
a celebration of what I was told was a challenge. Remember,
your difference is your source of insight, just like Chloe's was.
Share it proudly and see how it makes you feel.
Of course, if you're comfortable doing so and in a
safe space, you might even inspire someone else to celebrate
what makes this unique too. Thanks for listening to She
(18:14):
Built That, And remember, incredible girls don't just dream, they built.
Today's episode was written by Tom Lyon, who also did
the sound design, and produced by Tina Mattiloff. The executive
producer of She Built That is Courtney Ammenhauser and my
name's Annalise Todd. I'll catch you next time when we
tell the story of an Ossie girl who's taking the
(18:36):
surfing world by storm.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Bye.
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on Hello future Builders, and
welcome to She Built That, the podcast where we discover
incredible women who didn't just dream big, they built their futures.
(00:34):
Every episode we'll explore how these amazing women stack their talents,
overcame obstacles, and created something spectacular that changed the world.
I'm your host, Annals Todd, MoMA MIA's lifestyle writer and
head of the Dreaming Department. Now, before we activate this episode,
can you guess who we're talking about today? Okay, Mom
(00:56):
and dad switch on now. You don't want to get
beaten here, think about your pride. Clue number one. This
young builder is an actress who portrays an autistic character
in a hit Netflix series and is proudly or Tis
stick herself. Clue number two. Her hair color has been
various forms of red, and she's a big one direction fan.
(01:22):
Clue number three. She wrote a book called Different Not
Less and has won an Audience Choice Award at the
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. Can you
guess who it is? How'd you go If you guessed
(01:43):
Chloe Hayden, You're spot on. Today we're talking about actress, author,
and disability rights activist Chloe Hayden, who's building a more
inclusive world by championing authentic representation for neurodivergent people one
conversation at a time. So get ready to embrace your individuality.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
After this, the audition room.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Was bright and humming with nervous energy, But for Chloe,
the world seemed to shrink to the size of her
own heartbeat. Her hands trembled as she clutched the script.
This was the moment she dreamed of, but also the
one she feared most. Would they understand her? Would they
see her for who she truly was? As the casting
(02:33):
director called her name, Chloe took in a deep breath,
feeling the weight of every time she'd ever been told
she was too different, too much, not enough. And then
she stepped forward. Picture this a young girl in Australia
feeling like she's crash landed on an alien planet. That
(02:56):
was Chloe Hayden, And for real, everyone else may as
well have spoken alien, because that's how it felt at times.
From the very start, Chloe knew she was different. The
world around her felt loud and can fusing, eye contact, weird,
small talk even weirder. And why did everyone seem to
(03:17):
expect her to fit into a box that just didn't
feel natural. I mean, most adults spend half their lives
in meetings about thinking outside the box, but kids are
just expected to get in and stay there. But there
was one thing that Chloe discovered that made her feel
right at home, and that was acting. So she would
(03:37):
escape into film and so mister mcgorriam's wonder implorium would
always make her smile.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The store we can be upstairs immediately.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Now we all need something to make us dream and
feel good about ourselves. So I asked Chloe why performing
was so special to.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Her growing up. I always knew that I wanted to
do something in the entertainment space. I wanted to be
a singer. I wanted to be an actor. I wanted
to be on stage and perform and play pretend because weirdly,
by playing pretend, I felt more myself than I did
any other time.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Chloe found freedom in practicing characters behind closed doors. But
still her early years were anything but easy, and by
the time she was thirteen, She'd already attended ten different
schools yep Ten and eventually Chloe's parents decided to homeschool
her to protect her well being. It was at this
time Chloe got a diagnosis she was autistic. Now, autism
(04:41):
is a natural variation in how human brains work, not
a flaw, just a different way of experiencing and processing
the world. Later, she'd also learned she had ADHD. I
asked Chloe Worter, it was light getting this news and
how it made her feel.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Being diagnosed as autistic as a thirteen year old girl
was really scary in some ways and really validating in others.
Growing up in a really tiny country town, autism wasn't
really something that people knew about, and when they saw me,
they definitely didn't see what their expectation of autism was,
(05:20):
and that made being autistic feel somehow even more isolating.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
But through it all, Chloe still dreamed of becoming a performer,
even as she struggled relating to people outside of the home.
She would watch her favorite performers and then try to
emulate their mannerisms, always building on her acting skills. Her
dad would drive her to acting lessons and community plays too.
This was the one place where Chloe could find her
(05:48):
own self expression. It lit her up inside. I wanted
to know what Chloe loves about acting and why having
someone else write the rules can sometimes be the most
freeing thing of all.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
There's something about performing, whether it be on stage or
in front of a camera, that just takes me to
my happy play. I mean, I get to literally play
pretend as a job. Would that not be everyone's half
your plays? But there's just something so wonderful for me
as a neurodivergent person where the lines are written for me,
(06:22):
my emotions are written for me. I don't have to
play this game and figure out what I'm supposed to
be or how other people are expecting me to be.
I just get to do what the words on the
paper say and play pretend. And there's something so oddly
freeing about doing that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So let's call a spade a spade here. Teenage short is.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Hard enough trying to find your identity, but Chloe's teens
were next level tricky, being isolated from her peers and
abandoned by some friends for not acting how others thought
was normal.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
And for all you mums and dads out there, just
think back to that one year of truly questionable fashion
and blue eyeshadow. Perhaps that you survived and we salute you, but.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
This was truly a time Chloe felt everything was stacked
against her, but she continued to stack on layers of
expression in any way possible, even outside of acting. Chloe
was embracing her own unique, if you will, magnetism, and
she decided to tell her own story to see if
(07:31):
anyone else out there could relate to her experiences, starting
an anonymous blog under the name Princess Aspian, hoping maybe,
just maybe someone out there would understand. To her surprise,
thousands of people did. Messages poured in from kids and
teens who felt just like her, different, alone and desperate
(07:52):
for acceptance. Chloe realized she wasn't alone after all. Soon
Chloe was building a community, and her difference was her superpower.
I asked her about the moment she discovered she wasn't
as alone as she thought, and how that changed everything.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
When I started my online blog, I wasn't expecting people
to see themselves in me. I was hoping to see
myself in other people. I was desperately reaching out, desperate
to find one person who made me feel like I
wasn't from an alien planet and that I was supposed
(08:33):
to be here, and many, many people reached out and
responded to my blog, and the rest is history. But
that initial realization that if I was from an alien planet,
there was millions of people out there that were from
the same planet was instrumental in my growth and instrumental
(08:54):
in my understanding that I was supposed to be here
and that I was supposed to exist, And people like
me have existed for as long as humankind have and
they will exist for as long as human kind will.
It is so important for people to be able to
see themselves and to be a to have an understanding
that their brain is supposed to be here and that
(09:15):
they are supposed to exist, and that community and that
social aspect of being able to find that is life changing. Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Her blog led her to YouTube, where she made videos
about her life as an autistic girl.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Hi guys, my name's Chloe. I know I've knowned princes
asking executive functioning, what's that?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Don't know her?
Speaker 1 (09:37):
She looked.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
She became a powerful voice for neurodiversity, showing the world
that being different wasn't just okay, it was amazing. As
her online momentum snowboard, Chloe grew more confident in who
she was. She embraced what made her different instead of
trying to fit in. As the years passed, her acting
career was moving slowly but still growing. She did roles
(10:00):
in theater, plays and short films, but was yet to
find her big break. But in twenty twenty one, at
age twenty four, something incredible happened. Chloe was invited to
audition for a role as an autistic team called Quinnie
on a new Netflix show called Heartbreak High.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I knew the second that I saw Quinnie's character that
she was mine. I was actually competing at a cowboy
event in Bonnie Doon when it got sent through to me,
and I knew I had to get this job. And
so there's actually a video of me circulating somewhere of
(10:41):
my mouth moving while I'm doing this competition, and my
mouth is moving practicing the script in the middle of
me competing. I sent it off and I was hounding
my manager almost daily being like, do you know anything yet?
Have I got the job? Is the next stage of
the audition coming like do you know anything? And lo
(11:02):
and behold, I got a second audition, and then I
got an audition in front of the cast and producers,
and the directors and the producers of the show.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
This was a dream role for Chloe, and she knew
she had to nail the audition. But then, yes, Sue
turned up at the front door, all uninvited.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Self doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Hello, just like that relative who shows up at Christmas
but never RSVPs. So arriving at the audition, questions arose
in her mind. Would they really get her? Would they
like her, love her for who she truly was? As
the casting director called her name, the blinding lights shone
in her eyes, just for some extra pressure if there
(11:42):
wasn't already enough, and everyone there began to murmur. Chloe
took a deep breath, and then, with a quiet confidence,
she stepped forward, letting her authentic self shine.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Through every word, every gesture.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Channeling years of feeling misunderstood into Quinnie's vulnerability and strength.
When she finished, the room was silent for a beat.
Everyone was in awe. Chloe had done it. She hadn't
just played the part, she owned it, turning her difference
into her greatest power.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
This might seem naive to say, but I do truly
believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I
could go back in time and take away little Chloe's pain,
I would in a heartbeat. But I can't do that,
and so I have to believe that the pain that
I went through growing up made me the person that
I am today and gave me the opportunity and the
(12:39):
life experience to be able to perform Quinny the way
that I do.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Working with the director, Chloe helped shape Quinny's character, crafting
and stacking layer upon layer, making sure she was real, honest,
and nothing like the stereotypes she'd seen growing up.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
When I got the role of Quinny, I knew straightaway
that she obviously was autistic. Originally she was just neurodivergent, coded,
I believe, And when I got the job, I had
discussions with the pre duces and the directors and told
them how important it was to me that Quinny wasn't
coded autistic, because we have enough coded characters. We need
(13:17):
to see an actual, real life underlined bold. I tell
a sized this person is autistic on screen, and so
I was really lucky to be able to work with
them to help create this character that we know and
that we love today, but we also had the most
incredible autism consultants. Quinny was written by an autistic person,
(13:39):
and I think she shows the importance of representation not
just in front of the camera, but behind the camera,
to make sure that experiences truly are and the characters
that we are seeing truly are a real version of
a person, and that real people can look at these
characters and go, oh my gosh, I see myself. And
(14:00):
I think Quinny is the perfect example of that.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
The audience and critics loved Quinni. Chloe had made this
character so authentic and real, and for the first time,
kids like Chloe saw themselves on screen.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
I don't want to be a burden, but I've never
given any time or wanting to prepare. It's just not fair.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Chloe won an Actor Award for her performance and was
nominated for a Logi Award. She made history, but more importantly,
she gave hope to thousands of neurodivergent young people who
felt invisible. After the success of Heartbreak High, it became
clear there was a void to be filled for a
(14:42):
neurodivergent voice to raise awareness so that people like her
would be better understood well Chloe stepped on into that
space like a perfectly cast lead. Word by word, page
after page, she poured her heart, experience, and knowledge into
her debut novel, and it was a best seller. If
(15:03):
you don't mind called different not less. Sharing her journey
and encouraging others to embrace who they are, she became
a motivational speaker, traveling the world to talk about autism, kindness,
and the magic of being yourself. Today, Chloe Hayden is
a role model for kids everywhere. She's shown that you
(15:23):
don't have to fit in to make a difference. In fact,
it's the people who stand out, who dare to be
themselves who changed the world. So what's Chloe's advice to
young people looking to embrace their individuality?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Learning that I was autistic and having that diagnosis was
so incredibly powerful, And I wish that I could go
back and tell thirteen year old Chloe, or even younger
than that, who wasn't diagnosed with anything, and be able
to tell her that she has got such an incredibly
bright future. And most importantly, what I want every young
(16:00):
person to know that has ever felt different is their
brain is exactly how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
I've always seen dreams as you need to dream as
big as you possibly can, because everything that I am
currently living and doing was beyond.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
What expectations were for me. But I dreamed for it
and it happens.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So the next time you feel out of place or
worried about what others think of you, remember Chloe Hayden,
the girl who turned society's walls into stepping stones, paving
her own way to become a performer and a voice
for change.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yep, she built that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Gosh. Thinking about Chloe's story, I know I've had many
times where I felt that urge to change myself just
to fit in with everyone else, don't stand out, particularly
at school. It can be hard to not go with
the flow. But this week, let's flip that like Chloe did.
Now it's your turn. I've got a challenge for you.
(17:08):
It's called the Celebrate your Difference Challenge. Bit of a mouthful,
isn't it, But I do think Chloe's right. Embracing what
makes you you is a far better path to happiness
than trying to follow others. Here's the challenge. Think of
one thing that makes you unique. Maybe it's a special interest,
(17:28):
a talent, or even just the way you see the world.
Maybe it's a thought or opinion that's a little bit different.
Write it down, draw a picture about it, or tell
a friend or family member. When I was at school,
I was told I was too much and I talk
too much. And now I'm talking on a podcast that's
(17:50):
a celebration of what I was told was a challenge. Remember,
your difference is your source of insight, just like Chloe's was.
Share it proudly and see how it makes you feel.
Of course, if you're comfortable doing so and in a
safe space, you might even inspire someone else to celebrate
what makes this unique too. Thanks for listening to She
(18:14):
Built That, And remember, incredible girls don't just dream, they built.
Today's episode was written by Tom Lyon, who also did
the sound design, and produced by Tina Mattiloff. The executive
producer of She Built That is Courtney Ammenhauser and my
name's Annalise Todd. I'll catch you next time when we
tell the story of an Ossie girl who's taking the
(18:36):
surfing world by storm.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Bye.
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