Tal Anderson is a professional actor, filmmaker, and writer. She is an advocate for change, using her voice and unique platform as an autistic actor to support inclusion and authentic representation in front of and behind the camera in Hollywood. She is best known for her work in the Netflix series “Atypical” as Sid, but can also be seen and heard in many other productions including, guest-starring in Season 5 of “Magnum P.I.” on NBC, and as the English voice of Tina in the Disney Plus series, “Team Chocolate.” Tal has always been a storyteller, and as a child could be seen constantly using her FLIP video camera, or one of several hand-held voice-recorders to record every day life, or her daily performances of stories/scripts she had made up or written. It is this love of imagination that led her to acting and filmmaking as an adult. She lives in Los Angeles with her cat Winifred, where they can both live their best lives and be their true selves.
Her new book Oh, Tal! Not Like That was published in May 2026 and is a follow up to her first book, Oh, Tal! Not Today.
Author Q&A
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Tal Anderson, and I’m an Astra Award-nominated actor, filmmaker, and author based in Los Angeles. I’m best known for my role as Becca King in the hit HBOMax series, The Pitt, and as Sid in the Netflix series, Atypical. I also happen to be autistic. Though I have moved permanently to California, I was raised in SW Florida, and moved West after graduating from film school, to start my career in the entertainment industry.
Do you have any pets?
I live in Los Angeles with my cat, Winifred. She’s a Norwegian Forest cat, and she’s amazing, and gloriously furry, talkative, and quirky. Winnie is also the inspiration behind the cat in my children’s books, and young readers are falling in love with her.
How many books you have written and what inspired you to write your first book?
I created a series of books in a series titled the Oh, Tal! Series. Within this series, I’ve published two books so far, and I’m currently working on a third. Simultaneously, I am working on finishing up another children’s book which is outside of that series.
I’m a professional actor, and while working on the Netflix series, Atypical, I met Michael Richey White, who was working as a production artist on the series. Both Michael and I are autistic, and we became friends because we share values, and interests. We also share lived experience, even though we are 25 years apart in age. We realized that with our shared experiences, creativity, and talent, we could collaborate on a project to try to make a difference in our community. We decided to create the Oh, Tal! Series, for kids who feel misunderstood, to encourage them to be their authentic selves. Michael and I never had books as kids, where we could relate to the character in them. We want kids like we were, to feel seen for who they are and to feel free to express themselves.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book which published in April of 2026 is called, Oh, Tal! Not Like That. This is book number two in the series, and where Book 1 was set in the character’s home, this book is set at school. We decided to focus on school and the challenges that go along with it for neurodiverse children, because it is at school where both Michael and I felt pressured to try to act and be like everyone else, and not ourselves, and it was a difficult time. We wanted to present the story, because we know there are kids out there that can relate to it, but we wanted a positive outcome as a lesson for kids, teachers and parents, to reinforce the fact that there is more than one way to do things. Let’s face it. Who hasn’t been told “Not Like That!” by someone in their lives? We want kids to know that it’s okay to do it their way.
How did you come up with the title?
The title of the series, “Oh, Tal!” is the umbrella over all of the books, because it represents the frustration and exasperation that parents don’t often realize they are conveying to kids, especially the kids who they don’t quite understand. The title of the second book, Oh, Tal! Not Like That, comes from the many years of just being told what to do… and especially when I wasn’t speaking. I was told many versions of: not like that, don’t do that, be like this, and all of the commands that basically tell a child that everything you do and are is wrong. That’s where the title of the series came from…. To call attention to those “NOT” words, and to try to speak to kids directly to say that it’s okay to just be you, and to do things your own way. I wanted to write the books so kids wouldn’t feel alone, and Michael and I are qualified to do it, because we ARE those kids.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
All of the stories in this book and all of the books in the Oh, Tal! Series, are based on myself and Michael’s experience as children and the adversity we experienced at school, an other places. Therefore, we wrote this book to help kids who might be going through the same things we did, so that they know there can be positive outcomes .
We’re both creatives, and we express ourselves in ways that are non-verbal through our art. This was especially true when we were very young. I, myself, was non-speaking until I was almost four years old, and the character in our books, Tal, is also currently non-speaking. I don’t think that someone who had not lived these experiences could effectively write about it.
I think the fact that the book comes from authentic lived experience is important. Kids need to know that there’s nothing wrong with them just because they’re different from other everyone else, and knowing that this book has a character just like them, helps to do that for them. Knowing that it was created by the grown-up versions of these kids is even more important for the parents and teachers who see or read the book, because they need to be reminded that there are many different ways to do things, and that individuality is something to celebrate, not to squash. The fact that Michael and I are successful at what we do, BECAUSE of our creative uniqueness, not DESPITE it, is the strongest point, I think.
Do you feel like it’s most important to have A) Strong characters B) Mind-blowing Plot twists or C) Epic settings?
I believe the best stories are simple ones that are based in authentic human experience. Plot twists, and epic settings and locations are entertaining, oh course. I’m an actor! I love all of the exciting things, but I really do believe that as humans, when we read or watch a story, it’s critical that we can connect to the characters to understand their perspectives. In order to connect to the message on a deep level and feel where they’re coming from we have to know something about them, and be on their side. I think that’s really the only way we can truly understand why they do what they do in the story. Without depth, characters are just paper dolls placed on a pretty background.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m starting on Book 3 of the Oh, Tal! Series, and we’ve finished another children’s book that is created for kids and parents. The main character is a careless clown who continuously puts himself in perilous positions just going about his day. It’s funny, filled with Michael’s mind-blowing paintings, and is entertaining, unique, and quirky fun for kids of all ages. I am also working on a YA Novella with a neurodivergent main character. More on that soon!
Connect with Tal nline at
Author Website: http://www.thetalanderson.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thetalanderson
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ohtalbookseries
Both Oh, Tal! books are available for purchase on Amazon.