How 'Weeds' Kept Its Young Star Away From The Drama

Alexander Gould: Sheltered Amidst Drama

Despite the mature themes swirling around the hit show Weeds, former child actor Alexander Gould has fond memories of being shielded by the cast and crew. At just 10 years old, Gould portrayed Shane Botwin, son of the infamous Nancy Botwin, played by Mary-Louise Parker. Growing up on a set rife with illicit drug trade narratives, Gould recently shared how the show's environment remained a safe haven for him.

"I was honestly sheltered on Weeds from a lot of the very intense content," Gould revealed in a chat with PEOPLE. "So I didn't always know that was happening around me. I was very much given my lines and some context, and sometimes not a lot of context, to what was happening and just told that."

Formative Years on Set

Spending his formative adolescent years on Weeds, Gould wrapped the series at 18, describing the experience as "formative." Beyond the role, it was the opportunity to learn from "really impressive actors" like Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, and Albert Brooks that left a lasting impact.

“Those people, for the time I was on set, became a close circle and loved working with everyone," Gould said.

Before his time on Weeds, Gould was already an accomplished voice actor, known for the titular role in Pixar's Finding Nemo. "I always joke about that, because it's funny," Gould mused. "I went from being the most family-friendly movie of all time, probably, to the least family-friendly show, at least at that time."

Looking Ahead: New Ventures

After a hiatus post-Weeds, Gould is stepping back into acting and exploring new roles. Additionally, he's considering launching a podcast focused on discussing the experiences of child actors in Hollywood. "I know child acting has become more of a topic, but I think there's a lot of conversations to be had there and it would really be awesome to be able to facilitate those," he shared.

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