This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes we’ve ever done.
Today on The Write Brain podcast, we sit down with actor Johnathon Schaech to talk about dyslexia, shame, Hollywood, sexual abuse, addiction, and what real healing has looked like for him.
Johnathon opens up about growing up as a creative, right-brained kid in Baltimore, excelling in art, dance, and sports while secretly struggling in school. He shares how he went from drawing and “breaking” to booking a Franco Zeffirelli film in his early 20s… and then reveals what really happened behind the scenes during that movie — including the night Zeffirelli came into his room.
For years, Johnathon didn’t have language for what happened to him. It wasn’t until the Me Too movement — and reading Rose McGowan’s story — that he realized he was a survivor of the same thing. He talks about how that one minute of his life shaped decades of shame, self-destruction, substance abuse, and sabotaged opportunities… and how EMDR, brain-based work, and 12-step recovery helped him finally get free.
⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse, trauma, addiction, and self-destructive behavior. Please take care of yourself while listening.
In this episode, we talk about:
Johnathon’s childhood as a creative right-brain kid
Dyslexia, remedial classes & the shame of “feeling stupid”
Creating games, drawing, dancing, and discovering acting
The wild path from Baltimore to Wilhelmina Models to LA
Landing a Franco Zeffirelli film — and the casting story behind it
The night Zeffirelli came into his room and how it changed everything
Dissociation, the freeze response, and how trauma lives in the brain
How shame drove addiction, bar fights, and self-sabotage in Hollywood
Losing a huge role opposite Meryl Streep because of drinking
Getting sober, finding AA, and learning he’s not “broken,” he’s an addict
EMDR, brain-spotting & making the unconscious conscious
How healing trauma changed his acting, relationships, and self-worth
Finally working shame-free on his TV series Blue Ridge
Advice to survivors: it wasn’t your fault, and you’re not alone