Alexander Gould says "Weeds" Cast Kept him Away from "Intense Content" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 01-23-2026, 04:12 AM

How "Weeds" Child Star was Sheltered from Show's "Very Intense Content"
by Daysia Tolentino
January 22, 2026

Despite the mature topics on "Weeds", former child actor Alexander Gould said he was well-protected while working on the show.

At just 10, Gould played Shane Botwin, the youngest son of marijuana-dealing suburban mother Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker). Growing up on a show centered on the illicit drug trade, he was often exposed to some pretty adult topics.

The young star recently shared how the cast and crew protected him and created a safe working environment.

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

He spent his entire adolescence on the show, wrapping when he was 18. Gould called his experience "formative." He added that he was fortunate to learn from "really impressive actors" like Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, Albert Brooks, and more during this time.

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

After taking a break from acting after the show ended, Gould is jumping back into the industry and auditioning for new roles. He also expressed interest in starting a podcast to speak with other child actors about their experiences 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 said.

https://ew.com/how-weeds-child-star-...ntent-11889703

01-23-2026, 04:12 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56,961	Alexander Gould says "Weeds" Cast Kept him Away from "Intense Content" *How "Weeds" Child Star was Sheltered from Show's "Very Intense Content"* by Daysia Tolentino January 22, 2026 Despite the mature topics on "Weeds", former child actor Alexander Gould said he was well-protected while working on the show. At just 10, Gould played Shane Botwin, the youngest son of marijuana-dealing suburban mother Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker). Growing up on a show centered on the illicit drug trade, he was often exposed to some pretty adult topics. The young star recently shared how the cast and crew protected him and created a safe working environment. "I was honestly sheltered on Weeds from a lot of the very intense content," Gould told PEOPLE in an interview. "So I didn't always know that that was happening around me. I was very much given my lines and given some context, and sometimes not a lot of context, to what was happening and just told that." He spent his entire adolescence on the show, wrapping when he was 18. Gould called his experience "formative." He added that he was fortunate to learn from "really impressive actors" like Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, Albert Brooks, and more during this time. "Those people, for the time I was on set, became a close circle and loved working with everyone," Gould said. After taking a break from acting after the show ended, Gould is jumping back into the industry and auditioning for new roles. He also expressed interest in starting a podcast to speak with other child actors about their experiences 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 said. https://ew.com/how-weeds-child-star-...ntent-11889703 Attached Images