The movie theater star
Boynton Beach actor with Down syndrome works with celebrities — and at a local cinema.
Zack Gottsagen may have dished out some popcorn for you behind the concession counter at the Alco Boynton Cinema in Boynton Beach, or there’s a good chance he’s greeted you at the theater doors to check your ticket but, without a proper introduction, you may not have known you were in the presence of a movie star.
Gottsagen, a 33-year-old Boynton Beach resident with Down syndrome, has worked alongside Hollywood notables Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and David Arquette, but when he’s not filming he can be found at the theater he’s worked at for about four years.
In his latest adventure film called “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” he stars with LaBeouf and plays a role that was designed specifically for him — a young boy with Down syndrome who runs away to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
“It’s rare that you meet an actor who is actually physically incapable of lying, but his sincerity is the movie,” LaBeouf told The Palm Beach Post. “All I know is that he is probably one of the best actors that I’ve ever worked with and definitely one of the scariest people to face in terms of being able to tell somebody the truth.”
LaBeouf, 32, who is perhaps best known for his role as Sam Witwicky in “Transformers,” has had some legal troubles and credits Gottsagen’s honesty for helping him through some turbulent times.
“Every line has got to be real, so every line in that script has got to be honest or he would know,” LaBeouf said. “He’s not just a truth-teller, he’s like a truth barometer and an honesty test, which did a lot for the movie and did a lot for my life.”
Multitalented actor has no barriers
Gottsagen has high expectations for the film, though it is still in post-production and is yet to have a release date.
“I hope that thousands of fans see this movie, and I hope that they will love it, and the cast, a lot, including myself,” he said.
He also said he hopes the movie helps change the audience’s perspective on people with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21. It usually accompanies physical growth delays and physical and intellectual disabilities.
Gottsagen’s claim to fame began early in his life, as he was the star of a natural childbirth instructional film, as well as the first person with Down syndrome in Palm Beach County to be fully included in regular education.
He graduated from the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in 2004 as a theater major before going on to act in such projects as “Burning Like a Fire” and “Life of a Dollar Bill.”
Gottsagen starred alongside