Michael Theo grew up thinking he was "inferior to other people and invisible".
The Wollongong-based star of the hit TV show Love on the Spectrum would choose to be alone during school holidays.
He knew he was different to everyone else, but he did not know why until his mother told him he had Asperger's syndrome when he was 13.
"It's actually pretty great and it makes me stand out in a way."
In his early teenage years he became more social and comfortable around people at school.
He said he became "surprisingly popular" because he was likable.
Appearing on Ellen
Having recently appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after Love on the Spectrum became available on Netflix, his popularity has gone global.
"It was a very honourable experience," he said.
"I enjoyed meeting her [Ellen]. She's a really great person and I was surprised to find she wanted to interview me because I'm nowhere near as famous as Tom Hanks.
"It's [fame] flattering but it's also sort of overwhelming at times."
Reality TV queen Kim Kardashian also shared screenshots of Love on the Spectrum to her 266 million Instagram followers, saying the show warmed her heart.
"The show changed my life in the way that it put me in the public eye and it made me well known in Australia and overseas," he said.
New podcast to 'bring light and love'
The aspiring actor has recently launched his own podcast titled Mr A+.
He once told his mother that his ideal "A+" partner looked like him, so she started calling him the name.
"I wanted to make a podcast because I wanted a way to entertain people and bring love and light into people's lives," he said.
"Even I hate hearing that word."
Given the pandemic has dominated the news cycle for nearly two years, the final rule seems appropriate.
It could also be because the global pandemic has caused him some stress.
"I haven't been coping well because I take a lot of things seriously," he said.
"I see the pandemic as a threat to a lot of things and I hate being isolated from friends."
He said the podcast has given him a chance to share his personality and interests with the world.
It has also allowed him to interview some of his favourite people including actor Shane Jacobson, who has a child on the autism spectrum.
