Nathaniel Forrest Winters, born on June 22, 1975, in Martinez, California, was a quiet, analytical, and well-mannered child with an eye for details and a passion for performing. His artistic mother and vagabond father, who only stayed around long enough to learn his son's name, had a profound impact on his early life.
At the age of six, Winters and his family met Victor Salva, an ambitious 23-year-old amateur filmmaker who worked at a daycare. Salva quickly became a close and trusted friend to Winters and his family.
When Winters was nine years old, he convinced Salva to let him audition for a part in his newest project, 'Something in the Basement'. Out of nineteen young hopefuls, Winters won the starring role, alongside his 'ClownHouse' costar Brian Mchugh.
'Something In The Basement' went on to win first place in its category at the Sony Film Festival in San Francisco and caught the attention of Hollywood elite Francis Ford Coppola.
With Coppola on board as producer and a legitimate budget, Salva wrote the 1989 cult classic 'ClownHouse' with Winters in mind as the lead role Casey Collins. The film was shot on a grueling 30-day schedule, and one of the perks was that it was shot with the same cameras used to film 'American Graffiti'. However, the downside was that the cameras were extremely loud, requiring every bit of dialogue and sound to be dubbed over.
Just as post-production began, Winters found the courage to reveal the truth to his mother and confirm her suspicions. Salva was arrested and charged with 11 counts of child molestation. With Coppola's financial and moral support, Salva was convicted of the four least severe charges and sentenced to three years in prison, serving only 15 months.
Winters has since become a powerful voice and advocate for preventing sexual abuse, sharing his story to raise awareness. He has stated that being told by Coppola at the age of 12 that he would never work in the industry again left a sour taste for the film industry. Winters discovered his true calling in music at the age of 15 and has since been the frontman and mastermind behind his music project 7he Seven Stone.
Winters has recently completed his first film score for the upcoming documentary '7he 6oy', directed by Connar Frazier, which chronicles the darkness of childhood sexual abuse and his journey of healing. The documentary is set to release on October 31st, 2019.
