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 ONCE MORE LIKE RAIN MAN 'From Autism Stereotypes to Self-Representation in Film and Beyond' Exclusive Interview with Bella Zoe Martinez Featured in 'Innerviews' Hosted by Allié McGuire When a story about autism is told without autistic voices, it often falls flat or feeds stereotypes. Once More Like Rain Man changes that, with Bella Zoe Martinez not only writing the script but also bringing it to life on screen. In this conversation, Bella and I sit down for real talk about what it means to rewrite the narrative on autism, inclusion, and authenticity. ALLIÉ: Before this film, Bella, there were probably countless times when you felt like the world tried to tell your story for you. So, what was it like to finally step into a role where you got to tell your story your way—through your own voice and your own lens? BELLA: I really love this question because my honest answer is that it was absolutely amazing. I’ve always been interested in storytelling. Ever since I got my hands on this little camera, my siblings and I would go around our old apartment recording stuff. Some of the videos weren’t great, but that wasn’t the point. What mattered was that we could actually tell our own stories.  BELLA: I’d take my toys and we’d go on the wildest adventures. As my mom put it, my dolls had a very active social life. That imagination that never shut off made me think, maybe I could do this all the time—because I loved telling stories. So to actually step into a role where I could tell a story through the eyes of someone autistic, and a female on the spectrum like me—that was absolutely crazy. Growing up, I never really saw that. Even when I got auditions, I wondered why that wasn’t there. ALLIÉ: The film’s title nods to one of the most infamous portrayals of autism, but the story itself flips that narrative. How did it feel to be part of a project that challenged outdated stereotypes and showed something more real, more layered, and more you? BELLA: Honestly, it felt liberating. Yes, Rain Man showed one side of the spectrum, and that mattered because it opened doors. Without Rain Man, services for autistic people like me, my brother, and my sister might not have existed—because people care about what they see. But the problem was that people never went beyond it.  BELLA: In improv, there’s “Yes, and…” So yes, there’s Rain Man. But the “and” is every other part of the spectrum that’s normally not shown. For me—I’m chaotic, I’m a gamer, I’m terrible at math, I’m an artist and a writer. I’m not just one thing. I wish I saw more moments in film where autistic people are just doing silly, casual things with friends. That’d be nice. That’s what I wanted this film to capture: We can be more than a stereotype, more than just the quirky side character. ALLIÉ: We hear the words representation and inclusion all the time, but they’re not the same. From your perspective, Bella, what’s the difference? And what did Once More Like Rain Man get right that Hollywood so often misses? BELLA: Forty percent of the cast and crew—on camera and off—were on the spectrum or otherwise neurodivergent. That was crucial. It meant accommodations were built in, without fear or stigma. On our set, breaks were normal. The vibe was chill, fun, collaborative. People even stayed after their roles were done just to hang out. We had an unofficial mascot—Camera Rat, a plastic rat from my brother’s old ice-skating routine—that became part of the set culture. And we ended early every day. It was the chillest set I’ve ever been on.  BELLA: In improv, there’s “Yes, and…” So yes, there’s Rain Man. But the “and” is every other part of the spectrum that’s normally not shown. For me—I’m chaotic. I’m a gamer. I’m terrible at math. I’m an artist and a writer. I’m not just one thing. I wish I saw more moments in film where autistic people are just doing silly, casual things with friends. That’d be nice. That’s what I wanted this film to capture: We can be more than a stereotype, more than just the quirky side character. ALLIÉ: We hear the words representation and inclusion all the time, but they’re not the same. From your perspective, Bella, what’s the difference? And what did Once More Like Rain Man get right that Hollywood so often misses? BELLA: Forty percent of the cast and crew—on camera and off—were on the spectrum or otherwise neurodivergent. That was crucial. It meant accommodations were built in, without fear or stigma. On our set, breaks were normal. The vibe was chill, fun, collaborative. People even stayed after their roles were done just to hang out. We had an unofficial mascot—Camera Rat, a plastic rat from my brother’s old ice-skating routine—that became part of the set culture. And we ended early every day. It was the chillest set I’ve ever been on. I think I accidentally broke Hollywood. I thought, “Wait, normal sets aren’t like this?” And I thought, why not? They should be.” ALLIÉ: When people hear “autism,” a lot still think in clichés—math genius, no eye contact, social awkwardness. As someone living it, what stereotype frustrates you the most? What do you wish people understood? BELLA: That we’re all different people. We’re not the same person. Just because we’re on the spectrum doesn’t mean we’ll automatically get along or that we’re defined by one trait. For me, noise and fluorescent lights can be overwhelming. For others, it’s different. Some of us are extroverts, some introverts. Some love math, some don’t. We want to be understood. We desire connection. We just communicate differently. But there’s always common ground. That’s what I wanted this film to show—connection, and the desire to be seen. ALLIÉ: Your film does exactly that. Watching it, I felt full-length emotions in a short amount of time. It’s human. These are all human emotions and experiences. Different circumstances, yes—but the same humanity. BELLA: Exactly. Even as a kid, I understood this is my normal. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just Bella. There’s a Bella-likeness that can’t be replicated anywhere else.  ALLIÉ: Final question, Bella: If you could leave audiences with one rewritten, properly written sentence—one line to replace the old script society has for autistic people—what would it be? BELLA: It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it. And yes, you can. Even if it’s difficult, even if the journey is hard—you can do it. ∎
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