‘Similar to Britney:’ School of Rock children’s star Rivkah Reyes says fame at an early age paved the way for tough times of bullying and addiction
School of Rock actor Rivkah Reyes said his early fame in the film at 10 led to troubled adolescence and early adulthood full of bullying and later addiction.
Reyes, 28, who uses gender-neutral pronouns they, opened the New York Post on Tuesday about his life after playing Katie at age 10 in the 2003 hit starring Jack Black.
Reyes said that their experience is ‘somewhat parallel’ to that which Britney Spears had, following the documentary Framing Britney Spears.
Most recent: School of Rock actor Rivkah Reyes said his early fame in the film at 10 led to a troubled adolescence full of bullying and later addiction
“After production ended, when I went back to school, people were either very nice or very bad,” said Reyes. ‘There was no middle ground. I was literally followed by the school by people singing School of Rock. ‘
In a Medium post last year, Reyes talked about the abuse they suffered: ‘Since kids are stupid, I was even more bullied when I went back to school. I will never forget a girl who came to me and asked me to sign her lunch card, then she tore it up and threw it in the trash in front of me. ‘
Reyes told the Post that they felt pressured to get another role so that their colleagues would stop pestering them and calling them by name in the film.
Reyes said they were also concerned about being defined forever by the role in the film: ‘I spent more than a decade in fear of having peaked at the age of 10.’
Reyes played Katie at age 10 in the 2003 hit starring Jack Black
Cândido: In a Medium post last year, Reyes talked about the abuse they suffered
Reyes said their experience of making the film itself was positive, and called his main star, Jack Black, ‘a great guy’.
Reyes said they also ‘felt insecure about existing’ among fans who sexualized them at a young age, leaving messages online about how they expected to be ’18 ‘when they were 10.
Reyes told the channel that they became a ‘furious addict’ between the ages of 14 and 24 over harmful amounts of drugs, alcohol, sex and food, eventually becoming accustomed to self-harm.
Reyes said their experience of making the film itself was positive, and called his main star, Black, ‘a great guy’.
‘It was just love and support,’ said Reyes. ‘I never lost my gratitude for this, or I wish I hadn’t been a part of it.’
Reyes is developing a podcast about children’s stars called Where Are We Now.
‘To quote Britney, I am stronger than yesterday,’ they said.