Child actor who starred in School of Rock has made a heartbreaking admission about watching the movie back
I think it's safe to say that the large majority of film fans consider School of Rock as a cinematic masterpiece, and that we have probably watched it more times than we would care to admit.
But one of the child stars in the 2003 flick doesn't share the same sentiment, having admitted that they struggled to watch the movie back for a long time due to a heartbreaking reason.
Rivkah Reyes - who uses they/them pronouns - portrayed the bad-a** bass guitarist Katie in the comedy which encouraged us all to pick up an instrument.
Advert
In the movie, the Horace Green prep school pupil ditched their cello for something a bit cooler under Dewey Finn's (Jack Black) instruction and rocked out alongside their classmates, which included the late Kevin Clark.
You might think that the cast members get all sentimental when they stick School of Rock on every now and again, looking back on their younger selves with pride and reliving all of their happy memories from the film set.
But for Reyes, that hasn't always been the case.
During an appearance on the Sleepover Cinema podcast in October 2022, they told hosts Hannah and Audrey Leach that although being in such an iconic film is every actor's dream, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for them.
The 32-year-old from Chicago explained that the gang of talented school kids had all gotten together to watch it for the first time after filming wrapped.
Reyes said: "It was just us watching it and we were like, 'This is so cool!' We just went in the middle of the day while we were practicing for some of our TV promo - like Jay Leno, talk show gigs.
"They would have us come on, they'd have Jack come on and do an interview and then they would bring us out and we would do the song from the movie on the show, which was so cool.
"We did that a bunch and it was so fun, but at one point, they took us to go see it and it was magical."
But after watching it 'over and over and over again' at countless screenings, premieres, film festivals, and events across the world, the novelty of being a film star soon began to wear off for Reyes.
The Merry Gentlemen actor went on to reveal that their experience of showbiz was a 'little different' to that of their co-stars.
"I have severe anxiety," Reyes said. "Ever since I was a little kid I have had like really like negative, spiralling thoughts.
"So I would be watching it and just looking at myself like, 'Why are you doing that with your face?' I was very highly critical of myself and also like you know sitting next to my mom watching me, and then like, yeah...
"I got highly critical of myself and it got really weird. I was like self-conscious about everything."
Reyes said they 'found something new to be self-conscious about' each time they saw School of Rock, seeing them pick apart their appearance.
They continued: "Whether it was something I did with my face, or my teeth, or my belly, or being the tallest girl, or being 'the quiet one'. Or having some of my lines cut, or having my bass solo cut or whatever.
"I started to get that inner saboteur really badly," Reyes went on. "And of course, that was reflected by the kids who were mean to me at school."
However, Reyes said they think they would be able to see the film through a new set of eyes these days - and despite their mixed emotions, they still look back on their School of Rock experience very fondly.
The actor added: "It's like a whole new movie, it's like a family reunion video, right?
"My memories attached to the process of filming are mostly positive, and my memories about the press junkets and all of that were really fun, because I was being pulled out of school to like be famous, to be interviewed and meet the Olsen twins!
"Yeah...it's complex, but I should give it another watch."
You definitely should, Reyes.
Topics: Celebrity, Film, Mental Health, US News, Jack Black
Olivia Burke