Golden Globe nominee Anthony Edwards is here to chat about Cure Autism now, a charity he supports, as part of the Hollywood Gives series. Entertainment Asylum presents Hollywood Gives, sponsored by Regal by Buick*.  Hollywood Gives is a series of 5 chats with celebrities who support causes that really matter to them and gives each celebrity the opportunity to chat with you about their cause.  In the true spirit of the season, each celebrity will also receive a Regal by Buick to auction online--with all proceeds benefiting their charity.  E-Bay will be the auction host site.

Question:  Have there been any medical breakthroughs in Autism?

Anthony Edwards:  The tragedy with Autism is that it was largely unexplored because it was put on a back burner as an emotional disability and not one that was medical. So there is so much catching up to do that right now they're just about getting families and scientists together to explore this syndrome.  But they are very optimistic because the scientists like when they attacked Alzheimer's are very optimistic about finding a gene.

Question:  Since you play a doctor on TV, do you feel the need to help people?

Anthony Edwards:  I think just being a person has made me feel the need to help people. Being around doctors and the medical profession has helped, but I think more than anything I've been very lucky to be given a lot through acting does.  And my dad has always taught me that you have to give it back. And through CAN I can help, give some of it back to people who need it. It's very exciting to be around scientists and hear them getting excited about a breakthrough.

Question:  I am a really big fan of yours from England, where ER is very popular and I run your online fan club and you have fans from all over the world.  How has ER's international success affected you?

Anthony Edwards:  It just means that when I go to Paris that people will approach me and say, "Ah, you are from Emergence!" As an actor who likes it when people watch what they do, I'm very flattered.

Question:  Have you gone and or the cast gone out and met autistic people?

Anthony Edwards:  Yes, I actually have a cousin who has a son who is autistic. We all spend a lot of time together.

Question:  Hi! Are there any surprises in store for your character on ER coming soon?

Anthony Edwards:  That would take away all the surprise, wouldn't it?

Question:  Anthony, will you continue with ER next season?

Anthony Edwards:  Yeah, I'm contracted to be on ER for at least two more seasons.

Question:  Is it hard to memorize all the medical jargon in a typical episode of ER, and do you understand it all?

Anthony Edwards:  We understand it because we work with doctors on the set who help teach us what it is that we're saying.  That challenge of speaking the way doctors do is what I think makes it intriguing because we don't try to speak in TV doctor language so that layman can understand it. We do like showing off some of the Latin prowess.

Question:  Can autism show up later in life, or do you have to be born with it?

Anthony Edwards:  Autism is a genetic disorder and what happens is that about after a year and a half to two years is generally when autism will show up. The tragedy of it is that people have a child who is seemingly healthy and communicative and it's all of a sudden as if your child has been kidnapped. They stop communicating and they stop using the words they were learning.  It's almost as if they go off into a world of their own.  Autism is a really fascinating disorder. It has a huge spectrum to it. It's not rare.  One out of every 500 children born will be on the spectrum of autism.  That goes from people who are highly functioning autistic to people who are obviously not communicative.

Question:  What exactly is autism? Is that like what the movie RAINMAN was about?

Anthony Edwards:  That's one version of autism. Some people can be obsessive about one particular thing or they will not be able to communicate.  Basically it is a communication disorder where the synapses in the brain are not functioning correctly. What we don't know is how much the autistic child WANTS to communicate. They're experimenting with a lot of different therapies that can help autistic kid's function better.  My cousin's child doesn't function as well as an autistic child who is working with more advanced therapies. What CAN does is hook up families throughout the world that have autistic members to share information.

Question:  Do people ask you for medical advice?

Anthony Edwards:  That's usually people's kind of joke way of making an introduction.  I see them make eye contact and then they grab their heart and say, "Doctor, doctor, what can I do?"

Question:  Are you and George Clooney good friends off the set?  And how do you feel about him leaving the show?

Anthony Edwards:  We are very good friends, as we all have been since the beginning of the show. George has done a heroic thing by fulfilling his contract.  We're going to miss him a lot.  He's leaving in a very gracious way and has every intention of coming back to do an episode or so when he wants to when we want him to.

Question:  Who is hosting the auction?

Anthony Edwards:  Keyword: Hollywood Gives. It's e-Bay that is hosting the show Buick is sponsoring

Question:  Do you have any other projects coming up?

Anthony Edwards:  I produced a film that I'm acting in that is opening up in London on Feb. 5th called "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and I'm also in the film, "Playing By Heart" which is opening in the U.S.

Question:  Will you be directing more episodes?

Anthony Edwards:  This year I don't plan to direct any more episodes. I will next year, for sure.

Question:  Hi Anthony, what can we do to help?

Anthony Edwards:  What you can do is, if you know anybody or if you want to get involved, I think we have a web site on line and a 1-888-8AUTISM toll free number to call, the website is: CANfoundation.org. Also, we put a bill into Washington to raise the research money for autism to, $40 million per year we're hoping to get support.  People can help by letting their congressperson know that they support that. We want to create centers of excellence for research like the Ryan White AIDS bill did. The bill is completely citizen written and organized.  Then we went to Washington and got support from Senators for this bill.  Which I didn't even know would be possible.  In this cynical time of Washington, it's the one bright spot I found.

Question:  Now that its George last seasons are you planning any playing any pranks to revenge him for all his jokes? 

Anthony Edwards:  If I thought this was a secure line, I could give you some details. LOL

Question:  I have been a Scout Leader in the past for a mildly autistic child. Are there any common denominators at "reaching through" to the children?

Anthony Edwards:  Autistic children need people around them who are patient they also need to find the things that motivate THEM and use the things that the kids organically respond to. And the thing with Autism is that every individual is different.

Question:  Is your character going to fall in love soon?

Anthony Edwards:  I hope so. But I think if Mark Green is just a little bit unhappy than most people, then we'll all relate to him. The last thing I want to watch is a guy who has a perfect love life.

Question:  Do you eat Flutie flakes?

Anthony Edwards:  Doug Flutie has a son who is autistic and he's created it for a way to raise money for his own foundation. The same way in which Paul Newman was able to take his salad dressing and give so much money to charity is just another creative way to raise money.

Question:  Any other charities you are involved in?

Anthony Edwards:  I am inundated with really wonderful causes and I feel that I can be most effective if I can just work with two, which is what I made a choice to do. So I work with CAN and a homeless shelter here in Los Angeles which takes kids off the streets and tries to deal with them.

Question:  How do you feel about Golden Globe nominations?

Anthony Edwards:  It's always nice to be invited to the parties. There are a lot of great shows on TV. I'm fortunate to work with great writers and a great cast.  It's a great effort that up with me getting an award.

Question:  How do you feel about YOU'VE GOT FANS award?

Anthony Edwards:  I think if we could raise some money for autism research and win for favorite show online it would be a great win for 1998!

Question:  What does CAN do for autism?

Anthony Edwards:  Primarily, one of the big things is that it organizes research and scientists. They've created a genetic pool, which any study has to have a research pool. These are families with autistic members. They get blood samples from those families and they make them accessible to all researches working with autism. Research is competitive and they're not getting as far as if they would have worked together.  CAN is creating it's own incentive by creating grants and saying here's $40,000 and we're going to assign a grant to certain group of scientists who will be working with autism.  We're working with a lot of doctors and scientists right out of medical school so we're trying

Question:  Is CAN helped with government grants?

Anthony Edwards:  To angle their careers into this research. We got them to double the money that they put into autism, but we have a long way to go. There are a lot of good diseases that need research and help and we feel that by putting a lot of effort and money into autism, we won't be taking it away from other causes because for the first time, there is an excess of money.

Question: Is being able to do wonderful things like this one of the huge bonuses to being famous? 

Anthony Edwards:  I think it's the only bonus to being famous, other than getting a good table at a restaurant.  Being famous was never a goal.  To be recognized is not something that makes you feel good as a person.  I think making a difference in people's lives individually is our first priority.  Because of being famous I can possibly help people in a bigger sense.  I think America has proven to be a very charitable country. I think we look better in the world and in our own eyes when we all find a way that we can make a difference. I can do it this way, but ever every individual can take some time out or a little money to participate in something that they care about.

OnlineHost:  To learn more about the cause or auction go to KEYWORD:  Hollywood Gives.

Anthony Edwards:  Come visit our CAN website WWW.canfoundation.org 1-888-8AUTISM is the number for more info. Anybody who knows of someone, who has a child who has just been diagnosed with autism, it's a terrifying time for parents and CAN is an organization that can help them find resources and communicate with other people.  Because of the net and because of online, it's made families be able to communicate in such a great way.  For me it's just an example of how technology is bringing people together.