Shaun Weiss has spoken out about his battle with addiction after managing to get clean.
The Mighty Ducks star hit the headlines several years ago when he was arrested for theft. Here's what he has to say about his recovery:
The 44-year-old made his name in the hit 1992 ice hockey movie, playing Greg Goldberg.
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But over time, he struggled with his mental health, and fell into the depths of depression.
It later came to light that he had become addicted to methamphetamine and heroin, and was arrested on several occasions by the police.
Weiss managed to finally beat his addiction in 2020, and has turned his life around.
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Speaking on Today Extra, Weiss said he feels like he's been given a second chance.
"I'm feeling better than I have in years and being able to get back and do movies again is, like, just a dream come true," he said.
"I'll be honest, when all that stuff was going on, I really never thought that I'd be at a spot where I could look back at all that in my rear-view mirror.
"So to be able to be here now, I feel like I got a second chance."
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But while it's easy for some to draw comparisons between Weiss and other child stars who have fallen on hard times, he says that wasn't the case for him.
He said: "I think [my addiction] had less to do with Hollywood and a lot to do with other things.
"My depression is what led to my drug addiction, and I figured that out over a thousand hours of therapy."
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He also thanked his former Mighty Ducks co-stars for their support during his darkest hours.
"That support has really meant everything to me, because I just got to a spot where I really didn't care about myself as much," Weiss told the show.
"But I really didn't want to let all these people down that were pulling for me."
Weiss also picked out Aaron Swartz in particular for putting together a video of other members of the cast and crew sending their best wishes to him.
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"That video really was overwhelming and really blew me away," he said. "I really needed that at that time, so those guys were there when I needed them."
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or email 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
Topics: Entertainment, Film and TV, Drugs, Police
Dominic Smithers