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'The Good Doctor' Star Richard Schiff Joined The Show Because Of His Autistic Son: "His Victories Made Me Weep"

Date October 2, 2019

Author By Gwyneth Ingram

Richard Schiff is well known for his role as Dr. Aaron Glassman in the television series 'The Good Doctor.'

In reality, Richard and his wife Sheila Kelley have been married for more than 36 years.

Their union is blessed with two wonderful kids, a son named Gus and a daughter named Ruby.

The reason why Schiff joined the show

During a sit down with KTLA 5, the actor explained why he truly joined the show.

He revealed that he had never played the role of a doctor before and that he even hated hospitals. However, the character of Dr. Aaron called out to him because of a connection it had with his personal life.

The close relationship between his character and Dr. Shaun Murphy, the autistic surgical resident, reminded him of the one he shared with his son, Gus.

"I have autism in my personal life and that's one of the reasons that it attracted me to that."

When Richard accepted the ACTivist award, he recalled how his son struggled in his younger years with anger issues. The actor advised Gus to hit something else rather than flip out or hit people.

One day, Gus got into his mood and soon got angry during a game of kickball. He got angry and kicked down a fence. When he was able to get over his fury, he soon realized what he had done and was worried about his dad's reaction.

To his surprise, Richard didn't overreact but praised him for knowing that hitting the fence was wrong.

Speaking of the moment, Richard said:

"I couldn't be more proud. His victories made me weep."

Richard praises 'The Good Doctor'

The 64-year-old not only loves the show because it celebrates people with autism but because it does beyond that.

"That's what appealed to me, that it wasn't just a celebration, but it dealt with the difficulties and challenges in a way that seemed truthful to me. You can't celebrate something without a struggle to get to the mountaintop."

It is great that Richard was able to find purpose from his role on television. What can be more fulfilling?