The kids from SCHOOL OF ROCK get together and talk about the difficult times they experienced when they were children

It’s been twenty years since the hit family comedy was released School of rockby the director Richard Linklater and writer Mike White. THE Black Jack The vehicle has survived as a fan-favorite classic and has even been revived as a Broadway musical. The stars will always be known for their roles in this amazing film, but unfortunately many of the young actors in the film really struggled with peers and life in general after their leap to fame.

In a recent celebration of the film by Rolling Stone magazine (via Variety), some stars spoke out again about their experiences returning to “normal life.” Joey Gaydos Jr.who played guitarist Zack “Zack-Attack” Mooneyham in the film, explained:

“It was tough. I went back to school, and I was basically like a three-headed monster. I came back with all this culture in my brain to a nice little town outside of Detroit. And I was called a complete weirdo, and it was hard. I remember that I was going to a football game in high school and an older girl came up and slapped me in the face because, “Look at that weird kid in the movie.” People thought I had everything under control. I couldn’t believe it.

Veronica Afflerbachwho played the small supporting role of “groupie” Eleni, had a similar experience.

“When I went home after shooting the movie, I thought, ‘I’ll never do this again.’ Because children are brutal,” she said. “My parents wanted to make an investment, so they bought me a house. And the kids said some really horrible things. “What else did you do to earn so much money?” Because it doesn’t just come from a couple of lines in a movie. You’re an extra.” But I wish you’d given me the chance to see where else [acting] could have taken me away.”

Rivkah Reyeswho played bassist Katie (aka Posh Spice), said:

“There was, I would say, about a decade where I was really, really sick and really, really mentally ill and using everything I could to feel nothing, basically. But for the last five years I’ve been sober and re-navigating the film industry and comedy and writing and everything in between. It’s so much easier when there aren’t all those extra things getting in the way of me, my true self.

Brian Falduto he starred in the film as the band’s stylist, Billy. The character, nicknamed Fancy Pants, was known for his quirky personality. Richard Linklater said of the character and casting:

“I remember [producer Scott Rudin] I like the idea of ​​one of the guys being effeminate. I thought, “That’s pretty radical.” Even when I chose Brian and talked to his parents, I was like, “I don’t know if you guys know this yet, but young Brian is gay.” They were great. It just felt very real.

Linklater “wasn’t going to have some kid play gay” and instead prioritized finding a child actor who matched Billy’s personality so it was all natural. Enter Falduto, who loved that the set allowed him not to hide who he was.

Falduto said of the role:

“Having this experience where we all felt special because of our differences was really amazing. But then it made things even harder when we went back to school. People tried to pigeonhole me as a gay guy after the movie, and at the time I didn’t even know what being gay meant. I was just being myself and having a lot of fun.

It would take several years for many of the former child stars to realize the impact School of rock was, bullies be damned. Reyes went on to say:

“It warms my heart that it has aged so gracefully and still has this powerful message of radical self-acceptance. “School of Rock” allowed us to really let our freak flags fly. When you have a whole room full of losers, it’s so powerful.

Z Infantewho played computer whiz Gordon, added:

“I didn’t know I was queer at the time, but there’s something strange about ‘School of Rock.’ There’s something about challenging the status quo, about sticking it to the man, that creates this incredible environment for people of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, races, religions. Whoever you are, you are welcome to the School of Rock.

Maryam Hassanwho played powerhouse singer Tomika, recalled how people texted her non-stop about the pandemic as they watched School of rock for the first time or simply revisited for comfort in dark times. Many of them referenced a scene where Jack Black’s teacher gives Tomika a pep talk about body positivity.

“I would get direct messages from people who were about 9 or 10 years old when they saw it, like, ‘This helped me so much,’ or they would show it to their kids who are in the same situation,” Hassan said. “Now more than ever, with body positivity being an important conversation, I am so honored to have been part of that scene. Because I was a plus size girl, and now I’m a plus size woman, and I’m confident.

School of rock it’s absolutely a wonderfully loved film and I’m sad that a lot of kids struggled after making it. They seem to have done well in adulthood, and I hope they are proud of the special film they were a part of.