Cole Sprouse reflects on child stars’ trauma 'at the price of fame'

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Cole Sprouse reflects on child stars’ trauma at the price of fame
Cole Sprouse reflects on child stars’ trauma at the price of fame

Cole Sprouse has opened up about severe trauma child stars have to go through while working in the entertainment industry at such a young age.

In an interview to New York Times, the 29-year-old star said that he began acting when he was just six months old along with his brother (Dylan) and in his words, “it was not fun at all”.

"My brother and I used to get quite a bit of, 'Oh, you made it out! Oh, you're unscathed!”

Cole retorted, “No, not true at all.”

Adding to the statement, the actor remarked, “When we talk about child stars going nuts, what we are not actually talking about how fame is a trauma.”

Getty Images
Getty Images

The Riverdale star expressed his resentment over people who criticise young stars for going out of control and not able to handle fame especially women who are mocked for their body image or sexually objectified in some cases.

“The young women on the channel we were on (Disney Channel) were so heavily sexualized from such an earlier age than my brother and I that there is absolutely no way that we could compare our experiences,” he stated.

The star further continued that every individual going through a trauma has a unique experience and therefore, he is defensive against people who scorned some of the young women on his channel when he was small because “I don't feel like it adequately comprehends the humanity of that experience and what it takes to recover,” he added.

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

The Moonshot star disclosed that he was “officially burned out” by the time he and his brother reached 18 that they decided to quit acting and study Archaeology. 

However, Sprouse eventually came back to the industry with his role as Jughead Jones on Riverdale.

Cole noted there is no such difference for young adults in Hollywood as “fame yields the same psychological effects upon a group of young adults as it did when I was a child. The only difference is people have an easier time hiding it when they are older,” he elaborated.

BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed

For the unversed, Cole and his twin brother gained fame on Disney Chanel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The pair also shared roles in Grace Under Fire and Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy. Cole also played the role of Ross Geller’s son Ben on Friends