While the 1995 Disney movie Heavyweights was decidedly a comedy, actor Shaun Weiss says that star Ben Stiller took it quite seriously — so much so that he intimidated some of the younger actors on set.
The film — which has become a cult favorite in the 30 years since its release — centered on a group of young boys who are forced to attend a weight-loss camp on their summer break. Shenanigans ensue when the camp is bought by an overzealous fitness mogul, played by Stiller.
But Stiller was also overzealous on set, Weiss said on a recent episode of Pod Meets World — a Boy Meets World rewatch podcast hosted by Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle.
Explaining how it was difficult not to break character while acting in scenes with Stiller, Weiss said, “having a straight face when Ben was doing that thing, like, this close to you was difficult.”
“And I’m gonna be honest. Like, Ben wasn’t trying to be funny. Right? He was very intense and very, like, scary. He was definitely a little scary. I think he wanted to have that effect on us, and I’m pretty sure it worked on everyone,” Weiss, 45, added. “For me, definitely.”
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Photo by Richard Cartwright/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
David Goldman, Cody Burger, Max Goldblatt, Robert Zalkind, Shaun Weiss, Aaron Schwartz, Kenan Thompson, Joseph Wayne Miller in 1995’s Heavyweights
Related: Quack! Quack! Quack! Mighty Ducks Star Shaun Weiss Gets Back on the Ice After Nearly 30 Years
He continued: “He was very deliberate in not establishing friendly relationships with us. I don’t know if that worked for him because he didn’t like kids or fat kids or what, but he definitely made a choice to do that. And I think it worked.”
Weiss then recounted how, on the final day of filming, he decided to approach Stiller to thank him for the experience on set — and got an interesting response.
“On the last day of production, you know, we were out there three months, and I walked up to him and I said, ‘Ben … this has been just a magical experience, learning from you and observing you, and I just wanna thank you for an incredible shoot.’ And he shook my hand and he said, ‘You’re welcome. And what’s your name again?’ ” Weiss said with a laugh, adding that he didn’t know if the actor was being serious or joking.
Stiller and Judd Apatow (who cowrote the movie) celebrated the 30th anniversary of the film recently, with the actor taking to X to respond to a fan post noting the “underrated” movie’s 30th.
“Somehow I don’t think this will be at the head of the Disney+ queue ever,” the Severance director wrote, joking that he’s “not sure” Disney is even still aware that they made Heavyweights, which underperformed at the box office when it was released.
“But that was an incredibly fun summer in North Carolina 30 years ago,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Feb. 17, Apatow shared behind-the-scenes photos from the set of the 1995 film on Instagram — including one of himself with a young Kenan Thompson — along with promo pics of the cast and stills from the film itself.
Related: Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow Celebrate Heavyweights’ 30th Anniversary: ‘An Incredibly Fun Summer’
In addition to appearing in Heavyweights, Weiss starred in the Mighty Ducks franchise and other films and TV shows like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Boy Meets World and Freaks and Geeks.
As he grew into adulthood, the former child star hit a rough patch, eventually experiencing homelessness and meth addiction. In 2018, Weiss entered rehab after a series of arrests, but was arrested again two years later for residential burglary while reportedly high on meth.
In 2022, the actor shared that he was two years sober, and a month later announced that he’d been cast in his first role in 14 years, appearing in the 2023 film Jesus Revolution.
On Dec. 25, 2024, he actor announced that he and his girlfriend Shannon were expecting their first baby together.
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