Mighty Ducks star Shaun Weiss looks worlds away from his onscreen character as the Disney star celebrates four years of sobriety while running errands in the heart of LA.
Loyal fans of the 1990s hit trilogy will remember the youngster played the role of Greg ‘Goldie’ Goldberg in the children’s show. After his impressive role, the 44-year-old actor was set for a “nice Hollywood career” before he suffered a series of misfortunes.
After his partner left him, his father passed away and a temporary career lull, Shaun turned to meth and heroin to help “numb the pain”. He later hit rock bottom when he found himself homeless and addicted to drugs before he was locked up for burglary.
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He exclusively told the Daily Star how he took part in “deplorable” things to survive and fund his crippling drug habit. Now, more than four years clean, the TV star appears to have turned his life around after he was spotted taking a stroll through Tinseltown.
(Image: Disney)
In new pictures, the star can be seen stopping by a convenience store in the San Fernando valley where he picked up a vape pen and an energy drink. It comes after he celebrated the big event when he organised a comedy concert at Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, California last month.
Joining him on stage were Sabrina the Teenage Witch actor Nate Richert, The Secret World of Alex Mack star Natanya Ross, Your Shorts hunk Michael Ray Bower, American Pie star Thomas Ian Nicholas, The Sandlot favourite Marty York.
Comedian Ryan Talmo, who hosted the event, took to Instagram to mark the nostalgic night which he branded “emotional” and “something unbelievably amazing.” Sharing moment from the gathering, he wrote: “This is a night that 10 year old Ryan would be blown away!
(Image: Snorlax / MEGA)
“Pure 90’s nostalgia. But we all came together because we love Shaun and [want] to see him healthy and living his life at his fullest. Every year is a celebration! Because you’re bringing everyone together. Happy 4 Birthday! Love you sir!”
Weiss also shared photos from the star-studded event, which he sweetly captioned: “The best Night! Thanks old friends for coming out.” Last year, he told us how his life is like “heaven on Earth” after he got clean back in 2020.
He explained: “I think a lot of people have the luxury of maybe having family around to stop them from falling too deeply down the wrong path. And I didn’t have that luxury.”
(Image: Instagram)
Back in the 1980s, a young Shaun captured the attention of showbiz giants with his cheeky personality. The wise-cracking youngster got into active at the age of “five or six” but he was “funny right away”.
Shaun explained: “I would say to other adults like, ‘Hey, so how’s your sex life going?’ My sisters would put me up to doing stuff and say, ‘Hey, go over and go over to that guy and say f**k’.
“And I would do it and they would crack up. Then people saw me doing that and they were like, ‘Oh my God, this kid’s a riot, you got to get him in the movie business.” In 1992, Shaun landed his role on the family comedy The Mighty Ducks when he took on the role of the loveable ice hockey goalkeeper.
Looking back on his time on trilogy, he gushed: “It was a blast and it was such a blessing being in those movies.” After a string of impressive Hollywood roles, including smash hit Heavyweights (1995), Freaks and Geeks (1999) and Drillbit Taylor (2008), Shaun’s life came to a stop when work began to dry up.
(Image: MARYSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT)
It was at this point when the actor became consumed by depression and would often self-medicate with drugs. This eventually led to a life of crime to keep up the habit.
Speaking about his downward spiral, he explained: “When I was getting arrested, I just ran out of money and you know, you don’t have a drug problem until you run out of money. Even though I’m on the other side of [addiction], I did some deplorable things and I’m at the mercy of people’s compassion.”
Shaun was thrust back into the limelight again when his mugshot went viral in January 2020 after he was arrested in Marysville, California, for burglary while high on meth. Seeing the star hit rock bottom so publicly, a group of his former co-stars – including Ben Stiller – got together to create a “touching” video encouraging him to regain his life.
(Image: WireImage)
Looking back on their moving gesture, the star explained: “I couldn’t believe all these people had gotten together and made that, even Ben Stiller. And yeah, it was very touching. And it worked because it made me feel like I was cared for.”
Feeling supported, Shaun went back to rehab for 90 days after he was released from prison back in March 2020 in a final attempt to get clean. Armed with a strong support system, his Christian faith, yoga and employing life habits from SadhGuru, he eventually got clean.
Now, Shaun has been sober for four years and is thriving in his role as an ambassador and sober coach at Quest 2 Recovery, in Lancaster, California which helped him to get clean.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
