Shaun Weiss Reflects On Past Addiction Issues: ‘I Can’t Even Look Back And Imagine That Was Me’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former child star Shaun Weiss is opening up about his struggle with substance abuse and how his sobriety makes him feel “reborn.”
Weiss, known for his role in THE MIGHTY DUCKS, has battled methamphetamine and heroin addictions in the last few years, as well as homelessness and multiple arrests.
In a new interview, Weiss discussed his battle and how he overcame his addiction.
The actor calls photos taken of him at the time of his addiction “hard to see…I looked horrible and deathly.”
Weiss ended up weighing 96 lbs. at the height of his addiction, and would steal $1,000 worth of electronics a day to support his drug habit.
“That’s not normal. That’s not like you’re taking a few extra pills. This is a very serious problem… I was in horrible shape. I was probably gonna die if those nice sheriff deputies didn’t step in and save me,” he said, referring to his 2020 arrest.
Weiss spiraled into drug addiction after a series of hardships: the death of his father, a breakup with his fiancee, and a job he had been working on fell through, which meant he could no longer afford to pay his rent.
“It was like the perfect convergence of a lot of things,” he explained. “And it was just too much for me really….Within less than six months, I was a full-blown drug addict.”
“Literally what was going through my mind was: I’m gonna get this next bag of dope … get high … [and then] I’m never gonna use again… I’m going to climb out of this. I’m gonna recover. And I had that mindset every single day,” Weiss continued. “Every bag I did for three years, [I’d tell myself] was the last bag I was ever gonna do. It just went on and on and on.”
Weiss went to rehab in 2018, but soon relapsed. He calls his 2020 arrest a wakeup call. After serving 40 days in jail for breaking into a car while he was high on meth, a judge placed Weiss in a drug treatment program. He now calls his days of drug addiction “a blur.”
“I can’t even look back and imagine that was me,” he shared. “It’s like a different person. So I can’t imagine what would have to happen to put me back in a mindset where I no longer care about life and no longer care to see my loved ones anymore. I can’t imagine getting there again.”
Today, Weiss is focusing on the future, including his role in the upcoming JESUS REVOLUTION.
Movieguide® previously reported on his role in the movie:
THE MIGHTY DUCKS star Shaun Weiss will make his first on-screen appearance in years in Greg Laurie’s upcoming faith-based movie, JESUS REVOLUTION.
Weiss is candid about his past battles with drug addiction and agreed to play the role of a drug-addicted Vietnam vet who seeks to be saved. In the movie, the character eventually gets baptized.
While filming a baptism scene for the movie, Weiss said that Laurie approached him “and decided to start a relationship with me.”
“I ended up getting baptized … in front of the whole movie production. It was a very nice process, it was really wonderful,” he shared. “It really wasn’t anything I had been planning on or had thought about, but it made sense the whole time.”
This is an impressive comeback for Weiss, who served jail time in 2017 for petty theft and 2018 for public intoxication.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
