IT’S A HARD KNOCK LIFE –
March 5, 2021 – “I spent over a decade terrified that I’d peaked at 10 years old,” Reyes said in their essay. Reyes told the Post, however, that they did not regret doing “School of Rock.” “I have never lost gratitude for that, or wish that I wasn’t part of it,” they said. Reyes said the other child actors in the movie quickly became close friends and stayed in touch via group chats and multiple reunions over the years. Reyes said Black had also stayed in touch with the cast as well, calling the actor a “great guy.” Reyes described overcoming “a lot of demons,” though, including alcoholism and addiction. “To quote Britney, I’m stronger than yesterday,” they said.
The actor has been getting back into acting since 2017 and plans to release a podcast called “Where Are We Now” later this year that will give other child stars a platform to speak about their experiences.
More and more child stars have recently been coming forward detailing their traumatic experiences. The “Matilda” star Mara Wilson wrote an essay for The New York Times slamming the treatment of child stars and Britney Spears, drawing comparisons between her early career and that of Spears’.
