Jerry O’Connellis apologizing toWil Wheatonfor “not being there more for” him while they were shooting 1986’sStand By Meas kids.
On Thursday’s episode ofThe Talk, O’Connell, 48, touched on Wheaton’s previous claims that hisparents “forced” him into actingas a child, and that he underwent “emotional abuse” and “manipulation” from his parents.
“To the bigger picture, you never know what someone is going through when you’re with them,” he added. “I don’t feel guilt, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more.”
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Wil Wheaton (L); Jerry O’Connell.Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Michael Loccisano/Getty
“I deeply appreciate that,” said Wheaton, but he noted to O’Connell, “You were 11. How could you have possibly known?”
“Also, everyone in the audience who is a trauma survivor knows this: We’re real, real, real good at covering up what we’re going through,” added theStar Trek: The Next Generationalum.
In an interview withYahoo Entertainmentpublished in May 2021, Wheaton said that he “didn’t want to be an actor when I was a kid. My parents forced me to do it,” alleging of his actress mom, “My mother made me do it. My mother coached me to go into her agency and tell the children’s agent, ‘I want to do what Mommy does.’ "
The following week, O’Connell said onThe Talkthat"he had no idea” that his “great friend” Wheaton, whom he met while filming the movie as kids over 35 years ago, “was feeling this.”
“I think what should be said is you have no idea — not even co-workers, just people close to you — you have no idea what is going on with someone,” he added. “So if you sense anything amiss, anything weird, it costs you nothingto just go up to them and say, ‘Hey is everything okay? Is anything going on? Do you need someone to talk to?’ "
“I think just even saying that reaches a hand out to someone,” O’Connell said.
“Through a combination of an incredible emotional abuse from my father and a lot of manipulation, using me, from my mother, like really put me in that place,” he said. “Which, as it turns out, put me in the exact place to play Gordie. Because Gordie’s experience very much reflected my experience. We’re both invisible in our homes. We both have a brother who is the golden child. We’re both the scapegoat in the family.”
“But I wish I was older back then so I could’ve said, ‘Hey Wil, hey man, is anything [wrong]?’ " he shared. “But I do love Wil, and he’s doing great. He does a lot of stuff for Paramount+, forStar Trek. He’s doing great.”
source: people.com
