With over 8 billion people in the world, humanity houses an infinite amount of brain types.  Individuals with autism — a neurological and developmental spectrum disorder — makeup about 1% of the world’s population and may engage in intense interests, find comfort in routines and find difficulty communicating. In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, The Daily Texan compiled a list of figures with this neurodivergency.

Dan Aykroyd

“Saturday Night Live” cast member and “Ghostbusters” actor and creator Dan Aykroyd received an Asperger’s diagnosis after his wife suggested he seek medical guidance. Aykroyd partially accredits the inception of the “Ghostbusters” franchise to his autism. He said his autistic traits include his passion for criminology and ghosts, which merged his interests into the four-installment saga. Aykroyd’s antics will grace screens once again when the next “Ghostbusters” installment premieres on Dec. 20, 2023.

Susan Boyle

Few performances remain in the minds of “Britain’s Got Talent” fans like Susan Boyle’s 2009 rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from “Les Miserables.” The runner-up of the reality show’s third season released seven albums and cameoed in “I Dreamed A Dream,” a musical summarizing her life story. Boyle grew up understanding her neurological differences as brain damage, but this misdiagnosis was corrected to autism. Boyle garnered local attention for her talents in the early 2000s, but she didn’t receive international recognition until she auditioned for BGT in honor of her deceased mother’s wishes.

Greta Thunberg

Few environmental activists compete with Greta Thunberg in terms of her young age and household name status. Thunberg illuminated TV screens after her creating the Friday for Future movement, encouraging students to skip school on Fridays for climate change awareness. Thunberg also made headlines with her speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019, with statements including, “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Anthony Hopkins

Masked maniac onscreen and two-time Oscar winner offscreen, Anthony Hopkins revealed his diagnosis in 2017. Modern viewers may recall his work in the “Thor” franchise as the titular character’s father Odin. Boasting longevity and genre diversity throughout his career, Hopkins describes his autism as “a great gift,” and his seminal role as Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs” does not dispute his outlook.