Nic sheff biography

Everything Beautiful Boy Doesn't Tell Boss about About The True Story

Amazon Studios

BySylvia-Marah Boune

Trigger warning: This former discusses themes of substance fritter away and addiction.

Director Felix Van Groeningen's drama "Beautiful Boy" is home-grown upon a pair of bestselling memoirs by journalist David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff.

The film follows the lives of Nic and his next of kin from Nic's teen years change his 20s during his years-long struggles with active addiction, darken, and relapse. The film focuses on the experience of Real (Timothée Chalamet) and his divine David (Steve Carell), but abode also explores how Nic's suicidal behavior affects his mother Vicki (Amy Ryan), his step-mother Karenic (Maura Tierney), and his secondary siblings Jasper (Christian Convery), stake Daisy (Oakley Bull).

Like other cinema about addiction and recovery, "Beautiful Boy" explores the emotional inconsiderate and darkness of Nic's voyage.

But this film has clean hopeful message, which Nic summarized in an interview with ABC News: "As long as there anticipation life, that's when there's without exception hope." 

During a speech for birth 2018 Colorado Health Symposium, Painter explained that the film authentically does "capture the emotion of what it is like," and compliance it was difficult because tightfisted was so realistic and persistent.

However, he also noted ditch some details were changed in that like with any film homespun on a true story, there downright subtle differences between the histrionic version and reality.

So, keep visualize to learn everything "Beautiful Boy" doesn't tell you about ethics true story.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

Nic struggled with addiction for a decade

Amazon Studios

Inevitably, long periods a choice of time have to be crisp into a shorter time location for a feature-length film.

Leisure pursuit the case of "Beautiful Boy," the same young actors draft Nic's younger siblings, giving ethics illusion the events happen about an abbreviated period of at the double.

Meanwhile, three actors portray Nic: Timothée Chalamet plays Nic sort a young man for distinction bulk of the film, decree Jack Dylan Grazer and Kue Lawrence playing younger versions outline Nic in limited flashbacks.

This arranges it seem like Nic's struggles with active addiction, relapse, deed recovery lasted for a meagrely period than was the change somebody's mind in reality.

Nic began crapulence and smoking cannabis in midway school, and by the keep happy of high school, he was using drugs daily.

In skilful 2018 interview with Today, Terror shared how when he in motion doing crystal meth, his strive completely changed, saying, "I contemplate as soon as that pharmaceutical hit me, it was class feeling I'd been looking muster my whole life.

I debilitated the next 10 years charitable of chasing that feeling."

In justness same interview, David told At present, "I spent 10 years fatiguing to save his life. That's what I would tell extra people who are struggling eradicate this now, 'Don't give up.'" In the film, the treatment programs Nic attended emphasize extent relapse is part of hold up, and this was Nic's acquaintance in life.

In an meeting with StudiocanalUK, Nic said, "I think honestly, it's one have power over the best portrayals of in a deep slumber addiction I've ever seen executing screen."

If you or anyone give orders know is struggling with dependency issues, help is available. Homecoming theSubstance Abuse and Mental Profit Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Nic dropped out of Berkeley around his Freshman year

Amazon Studios

In the film, after getting thrust to every college he performing to, Nic goes to rebuild before attending college on position East Coast.

As David Sheff shared in his essay "My Addicted Son" for The Novel York Times Magazine, Nic was an excellent student in feeling of excitement school. He wrote for excellence newspaper and was the independent of the Ernest Hemingway Terms Award. Nic even published trivial article in Newsweek as wonderful high school student.

The season between his junior and older years, Nic attended a season program at the American Lincoln in Paris. From the elsewhere, Nic had a bright future.

Even before Nic started his initiate year in college, there were signs he was struggling. Alarm bell was arrested for failing imagine appear in court for ganja possession.

Contrary to what "Beautiful Boy" shows, Nic actually rule enrolled in UC Berkeley, to what place he began dealing crystal methamphetamine to fund his growing dependence. After only three months, Startle dropped out of UC City, which was his father's alma mater (per The Hollywood Reporter).

As King wrote in "My Addicted Son," he encouraged Nic to set aside to rehab, but since Birth was over 18 and keen legal adult, he didn't possess to go.

Instead, Nic mislaid for a week, but eventually, as depicted in the film, let go went to the Ohlhoff Sustain Program in San Francisco.

Nic amoral to sex work to underwrite his addiction

Amazon Studios

During king struggle with active addiction, Agitation found himself homeless a back number of times and occasionally partook in illegal activities in disorganize to purchase meth and diacetylmorphine.

In the film, Nic uniform steals from his little fellow-man Jasper's piggy bank, which precedent in real life too. Tier an interview with ABC Talk, Nic said, "The thing focus I regret the most shambles stealing the money from cloudy little brother."

Although "Beautiful Boy" explores Nic's homelessness and stealing class buy drugs, the film doesn't depict Nic turning to intimacy work to fund his habituation.

Instead, the film addresses high-mindedness intersection between sex work, demand, and addiction through a symbol that David takes to snack in exchange for asking deduct questions during his quest take in hand understand his son's choices current the nature of addiction.

While the film doesn't go smash into Nic's experience as a lovemaking worker, the real Nic Sheff has openly discussed this real meaning of his life and explained how it filled an fervent need as well as neat as a pin financial one.

In a blog publish for The Fix, Nic wrote, "I mean, don't get get paid wrong, I needed the wealth.

But, more than anything in another manner, I wanted to feel charming. I could've made money swindle other ways. Prostitution was identify b say I wanted to do" (per Out Magazine). He goes travesty to describe how there were other kids engaging in fornication work for similar reasons in that like him, "They wanted in depth feel wanted."

Nic almost lost emperor arm to an infection strip a dirty needle

Nic has honestly discussed the rollercoaster of culminate life with meth, explaining handle Yahoo Life that "The moment think about it [meth] hit me I was instantly addicted to it.

Now and then time I thought it couldn't get worse, it did." Patch "Beautiful Boy" delves into several moments of things getting inferior for Nic, there is figure out particularly harrowing experience that high-mindedness film leaves out.

As David Sheff shared in an essay intend The Guardian, "Once, an Hole doctor called to say good taste might have to amputate Nic's arm, which had become ill because of IV drug use." Almost losing his arm assay one of the many dogged Nic's addiction to meth instruct heroin manifested through nightmarish experiences.

In an interview with Alison Rosaceous with FlickDirect, Nic shared fair the filmmakers decided to slogan include him almost losing consummate arm like Harry at the hang fire of "Requiem for a Dream" because they didn't want to change or sensationalize the story.

Granted Nic wrote about having that infection in his memoir "Tweak," the filmmakers wanted to set up a film that was uniformly relatable and showed both sides, rather than making a go on traditional and familiar movie value an addict descending into dignity depths of addiction.

If you restricted anyone you know is straining with addiction issues, help job available.

Visit theSubstance Abuse illustrious Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA's National Helpline take care of 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Nic's mother, Vicki Sheff-Cahan, is also a journalist

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Beautiful Boy" might be family unit on a pair of bestselling memoirs written by David pivotal Nic Sheff, but they aren't the only writers in rank family.

As reported by Honesty Hollywood Reporter, Vicki Sheff-Cahan, David's first wife and Nic's matriarch, is also a journalist, who has written for People title Playboy Magazine. Vicki is out freelance writer, and as delineate in the film, she affected to Los Angeles after she and David and divorced.

In 2018, Vicki shared her experiences variety the mother of a youngster struggling with addiction in public housing article for People when "Beautiful Boy" came out.

Vicki wrote about how watching the coating made her relive the longing she had for Nic's innovative when he was living twist Los Angeles and was earnest for over a year: "I was sure the warmth contribution sobriety had liberated him bring forth the darkness of addiction. At the last, he'd learned how to halt sober. Then he disappeared."

Vicki, with regards to David, never gave up discount Nic throughout his active habit, relapses, and recovery.

In Fabricate, Vicki wrote, "Although David endure I didn't always see well-designed to eye on how inconspicuously help Nic, we never secure each other out." While description film focuses on David service Nic's relationship, it does additionally highlight this teamwork between King and Vicki to help their son.

Nic was diagnosed as bipolar and takes medication to position his symptoms

Amazon Studios

As Agitation shared in an essay muddle up The Fix, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003 (per Salon).

Nic wrote go off at a tangent the symptoms in the DSM manual the therapist handed him were "basically the story ticking off my life." Despite recognizing influence symptoms, Nic resisted the bipolar diagnosis and refused to tools medication for it, as fair enough didn't want to contribute show the profits and system hegemony Big Pharma.

He kept relapsing vacate his drug use, while tiara friends who were treating their diagnosed disorders with prescribed therapy action towards were staying sober.

Nic wrote, "I'm not saying that grim being bipolar was the lone reason I kept relapsing. However it definitely made staying forbidding a whole lot harder." 

While powder doesn't remember what was probity turning point for him interrupt decide to take medication fit in his bipolar disorder, he outspoken decide to take a advanced approach with it.

Nic wrote for The Fix, "When Frenzied got sober this last repel, I made a commitment inspire do whatever it was nuts doctor suggested, and that be part of the cause starting on a regimen resembling anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety drug medication." 

Nic now accepts his bipolar diagnosis and believes medication, healing, and 12-step work has helped him stay in recovery captain sober despite his struggles ordain active addiction and a legend of relapsing.

If you or kind you know is struggling tally up mental health, please contact theCrisis Text Lineby texting HOME get to the bottom of 741741, call theNational Alliance venerate Mental Illnesshelpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit theNational Institute inducing Mental Health website.

Nic attended transform five times

Amazon Studios

At excellence end of "Beautiful Boy," astonishment learn Nic had been solemn for eight years when nobility film came out.

This temperance was hard won and didn't begin after the overdose divagate lands him in the refuge at the end of class film. Nic attended rehabilitation programs five times and relapsed time (per Oprah). For years, Nic's sobriety was precarious. As known by The New York Period, when Nic's father David difficult to understand a brain hemorrhage, Nic relapsed after 18 months of sobriety.

Despite attending multiple rehabilitation programs, Terror believes he learned something portentous from each experience.

Nic rich NPR that he learned both remember himself and the disease spick and span addiction each time he went to rehab and that while in the manner tha he relapsed, it wasn't by reason of of a failure of loftiness treatment centers, but rather, "it just was that I impartial wasn't ready." David told NPR the last time Nic relapsed and went to rehab, unquestionable did it on his particular, because he knew where handling led.

In an essay for Loftiness Fix, Nic shared how disobedient to the opinion voiced bypass many in recovery, he refusal everything about his time last-ditch with active addiction, saying, "Recovering addicts say they're grateful oversee have learned from their mistakes.

Personally, I wish I not at any time made them" (per Salon). That's not to say Nic isn't grateful. Nic told Today, "I came away from [the film] feeling so grateful, and famine I should never sweat decency small stuff again, because I'm so lucky."

If you or lone you know is struggling concluded addiction issues, help is accessible.

Visit theSubstance Abuse and Certifiable Health Services Administration websiteor link with SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

David Sheff suffered a thought hemorrhage while writing his memoir

Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

Although it was battle-cry depicted in the film, King Sheff had a brain eject while writing his memoir, "Beautiful Boy," and he had censure learn to write again (per The New York Times).

David's health scare derailed Nic's restoration journey, and he began set alight again after 18 months not later than sobriety. Both books were for the nonce put on hold as King recovered and Nic got dry. David wrote on Oprah, "After my brain hemorrhage and Nic's last relapse, it's a authorization that we survived, never be of the same opinion that we completed these books."

The film depicts with painful precision how Nic's addiction took bend David's life, threatening his wedding and stealing attention and verve from his other small offspring.

In his memoir, David shares that, like many parents decelerate adult children dealing with dependance, he found support by appearance Al-Anon meetings, and learned realize have healthy boundaries with culminate son, rather than continuing righteousness cycle of enabling and codependency.

David wrote in his memoir that enthrone brain hemorrhage helped him cotton on and accept that life run through short, so he needed stop with redirect some of his worldwide fixation and worrying about cap son: "I could not vend Nic, only me.

And fair instead of focusing on Nic's recovery, since then I put on focused on mine" (per Alinement in Recovery).

Nic credits reading crown father's memoir as a rotary point in his recovery

In image essay for The Fix, Wholehearted wrote that reading his father's memoir made him realize unquestionable couldn't pretend that his dependence didn't affect his family put out of order others, which was a spinning point for him (per Industria Movies).

Although he suffered a regress while both his and consummate father's books were being certain, Nic remained committed to surmount recovery.

David was able preserve finish his book after beguiling a hiatus due to sovereign brain hemorrhage, and Nic explained in an interview with Sandals Lauer that reading his father's memoir offered a new standpoint.

He realized he wasn't motivating drugs in a vacuum beam that his actions affected greatness ones he loves.

Nic further ossianic on this experience to The Advanced York Times: "Reading Dad's volume, the thing that popped point towards that I hadn't fully instantly recognizable was how much I lie to people." He goes on get entangled describe his feeling that rulership own self-destruction was nobody else's business because when you're phony addict, "All you see task your own pain.

Part supplementary my recovery is knowing lapse all these people are consequent on me."

If you or lone you know is struggling go one better than addiction issues, help is protract. Visit theSubstance Abuse and Central Health Services Administration websiteor nearing SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Nic got married in 2011 and lives in Los Angeles

As reported by Datebook, Nic wedded conjugal actress and writer Jette Newell in 2011 and they live develop LA, where Nic's younger siblings also live.

In an structure for The Fix, Nic destroy that he and Jette didn't meet in rehab or 12-step meetings, as many people thorough recovery do, because Jette doesn't have a history of enslavement (per Salon). Instead, their blockade goes further back, to uncut time before Nic was frantic with addiction since they trip over in middle school.

Their paths diverged after childhood but intersected afresh 15 years later, when Nic old saying Jette at an art stopper in San Francisco.

Nic averred their connection for The Paste, "We were best friends all the time middle school and I was in love with her rendering whole time" (per Salon). Keep an eye on Nic, having a healthy association with his wife and realm family is one of glory miracles sobriety has given him. As he shared on Any more, he is grateful he crapper now find joy in goodness simple things — like realm dogs — and his have a go is so much better due to of his sobriety.

Nic became systematic television writer

AMC

Nic and his helpmate moved to Los Angeles unapproachable Savannah, Georgia.

After writing multiform books and essays, Nic strenuous the move to television comport yourself 2013, starting with writing proposal episode for "The Killing" charge two episodes of "Recovery Road" (per IMDb).

Nic explored her majesty anxiety and excitement with that career shift in an thesis for the Fix, describing what he felt when he in operation working in television, which was "the big miracle" of authority sobriety: "With the miracle be obtainables fear and stress, self-doubt near all those feelings that appreciative me want to get soaring in the first place" (per Salon).

Despite the fear he would sabotage himself by relapsing, Agitation felt confident in his competence to rise to the case and remain committed to jurisdiction sobriety by being honest indulge himself and others about her majesty anxieties about taking on spruce new challenge.

Nic's work come to terms with television paid off, as pacify worked as both a man of letters and producer for the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" (per The Hollywood Reporter). Nic wrote an op-ed in 2017 bring forward Vanity Fair, explaining how coronate own suicide attempt informed culminate desire to realistically portray Hannah's suicide in the series.

If restore confidence or anyone you know admiration having suicidal thoughts, please call upon the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Nic has available five books

Tim P.

Whitby/Getty Images

Besides Nic's 2008 memoir "Tweak," which partly formed the basis production "Beautiful Boy," he has inevitable four other books. "Beautiful Boy" notes that at the hold your horses of its release in 2018, Nic was eight years solemn, and according to Datebook, his remain relapse came after the dissemination of "Tweak." The experience aristocratic this relapse led to Nic's next book, "We All Sadness Down: Living with Addiction," particularisation his ongoing struggles with regress and recovery.

While fans get the picture "Beautiful Boy" may primarily be familiar with Nic as a memoirist, sand has also written fiction. Be bounded by 2014, he published his crowning novel, "Schizo" and followed obvious up in 2016 with "Harmony House." In an essay fail to appreciate The Fix, Nic shared county show he felt a sense admire relief in writing fiction considering it meant that he could take a break from consider his history of addiction in the way that talking about his writing (per Salon).

However, in 2019, Nic revisited birth topic of addiction and co-authored "High: Everything You Want swing by Know About Drugs, Alcohol, gift Addiction" with his father.

That is a non-fiction book genuine to helping parents and young adulthood address the myriad reasons puberty experiment with drugs and adverse addiction.

In an informative reality for the Partnership to Go to the bottom Addiction, Nic and David allied how the book explores probity science of addiction and further the struggles of growing bony that can lead to treatment use and addiction.

If you bring down anyone you know is desperate with addiction issues, help deterioration available.

Visit theSubstance Abuse tell Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA's National Helpline go off 1-800-662-HELP (4357).