Vince Colosimo reveals a painful secret about his childhood after narrowly avoiding time behind bars for $61,000 in fines and admitting to getting behind the wheel while high on ice
Vince Colosimo has revealed he was bullied growing up after starring as a teen heartthrob on TV.
The Australian actor was speaking at an anti-bullying event in his first public appearance since being spared jail in August after receiving $61,000 in traffic fines and admitting to driving under the influence of the drug ice.
The Underbelly and Chopper star told the audience he had fallen victim to ‘tall poppy syndrome’.
Colosimo said he got “a lot of s*** at school” from other students and kids at Melbourne’s Carlton North after appearing as Gino on hit show Moving Out.
The bullying had started with “smaller comments” from others around him and then progressed to comments from complete strangers.
“When I went out I got a lot of (people saying) ‘Do you know who you are?'” he told the audience in a clip that aired on A Current Affair.
“No matter where you went, you were the center of attention, and sometimes for the wrong reasons.”
He said people have “prejudices about who you are and where you’ve been.”
“It happens to me a lot and I’ve dealt with it, but you know what, it could have wiped me out. It could have stopped me from doing what I did,” Colosimo told the crowd.
He also shared some advice for those who are struggling to deal with life’s challenges.
“I think it’s who you surround yourself with… I had some great friends and my brother and I kept our feet on the ground,” he said.
Colosimo has since turned his attention to teaching acting in Melbourne while working on a documentary with the Bully Zero organization.
Vince Colosimo has revealed he was bullied growing up after starring as a teen heartthrob on TV
Colosimo said he got ‘a lot of s*** at school’ from other students and kids at Melbourne’s Carlton North after appearing as Gino on hit show Moving Out
Mr Colosimo previously faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court in July after failing to pay a $61,858 fine.
The court heard Colosimo claimed he had suffered from the horrific influence of methamphetamine during his offending, which dates back to 2012.
He avoided jail after convincing a magistrate that long-term use of the drug has left him mentally ill, broke and on the verge of homelessness.
Under each payment plan, Colosimo would have had to work one hour for every $40 he owed – approximately 64 full days, 24 hours a day.
However, Guillaume Bailin ordered that Colosimo could perform 101 hours of unpaid community work over the next year, meaning Colosimo would not have to pay $58,000.