Top 10 Dark Truths About Modern Actors
#10: Zac Efron’s Rehab
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Many of us find that life can be hard after high school. But for Zac Efron, life grew more difficult after “High School Musical.” Following his rise to stardom, Efron found himself at a crossroads. He was now a teen idol, but was also ready to move into more adult roles. This is a hard transition for many actors who find success in their early years, and Efron described feeling like there was a hole inside him that he couldn’t fill. And being a hot young actor in Hollywood meant everything was at his fingertips — including a number of vices. His struggle with addiction eventually sent him to rehab in 2013.
#9: Allison Mack Recruited for a Cult
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For 10 seasons Allison Mack played a close friend of Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan, on “Smallville.” However, Mack would become quite close with a villain in real life . Mack became involved with the NXIVM organization in 2006. On the surface, it was an organization focused on coaching and empowerment. But really, NXIVM was a cult led by one man, Keith Raniere. Mack eventually became very close with Raniere as both an intimate partner and a recruiter of future cult members. She was sentenced to three years in prison on racketeering and racketeering conspiracy charges, serving 21 months before her release in July 2023.
#8: Jack Nicholson’s Sister/Mother
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Imagine finding out that your sister was actually your mother. It might seem almost impossible to fathom, but Jack Nicholson knows exactly how it feels. The actor’s mother, June, was 17 years old and unmarried when she got pregnant. Her parents said they would raise the child with June acting as his sister. Nicholson was born in 1937, and it wasn’t until researchers at Time magazine uncovered the truth in 1974 that he learned about his true parentage. By the time this came to light, both June and Jack’s biological grandmother had died.
#7: Matthew Perry’s Substance Use Disorder
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The middle seasons of “Friends” have some of the most classic Chandler moments of the series. However, had you asked Matthew Perry what it was like filming those episodes, he might have trouble telling you. Perry admitted his problems with substance use disorder were so bad during the filming of roughly the third through sixth seasons that he pretty much can’t remember it. After a jet-ski accident in 1997, Perry became addicted to Vicodin. Following that he also developed a dependence on methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol, and was in and out of rehab multiple times. His disorder cost him, in his own estimation, close to $9 million.
#6: Rose McGowan Was Raised in a Cult
The Family International — also known as The Children of God — was a religious movement founded in 1968 that has often been called a cult. Former members of the organization have also accused the group of several instances of misconduct and abuse towards minors. Rose McGowan’s parents were a part of the group until 1978, meaning Rose spent the first five years of her life among this community. Her unique childhood also included a stint as a teenage runaway. She was 15 when she had herself emancipated from her parents and left for California.
#5: Matthew Broderick’s Dangerous Driving
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In 1987, Matthew Broderick was vacationing in Ireland with his girlfriend Jennifer Grey. The couple was out for a drive when Broderick drove into the wrong lane and smashed into another car. Broderick came out of the crash with a concussion and a collapsed lung, and he fractured his leg and ribs. Grey got whiplash so bad she needed surgery to avoid paralysis. But they were the lucky ones, because the mother and daughter in the other car both died upon impact. And while he was charged with a crime that could’ve seen him spend up to five years in prison, he was only convicted of careless driving and received a $175 fine.
#4: Pamela Anderson’s Babysitter
Before she ever put on the famous “Baywatch” red bathing suit or had her tape with Tommy Lee stolen and shared around the world, Pamela Anderson was just a girl growing up in British Columbia. However, she has revealed that there were some very dark moments in her childhood. Her recollections unfortunately include a number of abusive incidents. According to Anderson, a female babysitter assaulted her from the age of 6 until she was 10. She has also stated that she was assaulted at the ages of 12 and 14 by several men.
#3: Woody Harrelson’s Hitman Father
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Woody Harrelson was born in 1961. According to the actor, his father, Charles Harrelson, left the house in 1968 and did not return. It wasn’t until 1981 that Woody got news of his father’s whereabouts. However, so did a lot of the public — because it was in 1981 that Charles was arrested for the murder of federal judge John H. Wood Jr. Charles had reportedly been hired to commit the crime by a drug dealer who was worried about the judge’s reputation for tough sentencing. Charles Harrelson died in prison in 2007, leaving a more than complicated legacy for Woody to ponder.
#2: Charlize Theron Witnessed Familial Violence
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Many people may be used to seeing their parents have disagreements, but Charlize Theron went through something very different. Growing up in South Africa, Theron’s father was an alcoholic. In June of 1991, when she was just 15 years old, Theron said she saw her father attack her mother and fire a gun at both her mother and herself. Theron’s mother then found her gun and fired at her husband, killing him. An investigation ruled that the act was in self-defense and Theron’s mother was not charged. At 16, Theron and her mother moved to Europe and later the United States.
#1: RDJ’s Father Introduced Him to Substances
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Robert Downey Jr.’s history with substance use has been well documented. But what might not be as well known is that Robert Downey Sr. faced similar problems. Not only did he do drugs around his young son, he allegedly did them with him. He reportedly let his six-year-old smoke pot — and while he later admitted that it was “a terrible, stupid mistake,” the father-and-son drug consumption didn’t end there. Senior and Junior began doing more substances together, in what RDJ later described as his father “trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how.” Which of these truths shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments.
