He was once the boy every magazine wanted \u2014 a smiling face in America\u2019s living rooms through the 1980s. But behind the fame was a young actor struggling with identity, pressure, and purpose.<\/p>\n
Before he could drive, he was already a full-time Hollywood star. The world saw confidence; inside, he was just a kid searching for himself.<\/p>\n
A childhood on set<\/strong> \u201cI played pretend, and I was good at it\u2026 and all of a sudden people were making a lot of money, and I didn\u2019t want to do it anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n By his teens, fame had shaped his identity. At 16, he walked away from Hollywood to live like a normal teenager, joining his high school drama club and finding comfort among the \u201cuncool\u201d theater kids.<\/p>\n Addiction and recovery<\/strong> Outed and reborn<\/strong> \u201cIt helped me to know I wasn\u2019t alone,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s love. I\u2019ll take it, whatever it looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n Hollywood doors closed, but he refused to hide.<\/p>\n From actor to psychologist<\/strong> Now, he helps others heal from the same struggles he once faced, living quietly with his dog, nature, and purpose.<\/p>\n The boy who once graced every magazine cover grew into a man who chose meaning over fame, truth over image, and healing over applause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He was once the boy every magazine wanted \u2014 a smiling face in America\u2019s living rooms through the 1980s. But behind the fame was a young actor struggling with identity, pressure, and purpose. Before he could drive, he was already a full-time Hollywood star. The world saw confidence; inside, he was just a kid searching…<\/p>\n
Born in 1974, he landed his first role at eight in St. Elsewhere<\/em>, later appearing in Airwolf<\/em>, Our House<\/em>, and My Two Dads<\/em>. While others did homework, he memorized scripts and grew up under studio lights.<\/p>\n
Raised Catholic, he struggled as adulthood and addiction collided. Alone and spiraling, he nearly lost everything before entering recovery. Helping others became his path to healing.<\/p>\n
In 1996, a tabloid outed him with photos of him kissing another man. Fear and pain followed, but so did support \u2014 letters from young gay fans thanking him for being visible.<\/p>\n
In 2015, he left acting, earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and opened Confluence Psychotherapy<\/em> \u2014 a name symbolizing two rivers joining as one.<\/p>\n