Ryan O’Connell on two groundbreaking seasons of ‘Special’ and writing his way to sobriety
I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, Ryan O’Connell’s Netflix series Special depicts a humorous version of the writer’s life as a single gay Millennial with cerebral palsy. Spend time getting to know O’Connell, though, and it’s clear that while he and Ryan Hayes, the character, share many similarities and a favorite expression (“Chic!”), the creator is wiser and far more self-assured than his fictional avatar.The lines blur, O’Connell says, chatting over Zoom ahead of the show’s season two premiere.