Winter says abuse gave him PTSD

Alex Winter's experiences of child abuse when starting out as a 12-year-old have left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Winter won legions of fans on screen as Bill S. Preston, Esq. in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure in 1989, but says at the time he was coping with abuse he'd suffered as a child actor on Broadway.

“I was dealing with really intense and prolonged abuse,” he tells The Guardian. “There was The King and I – eight shows a week, happy face – feeling genuinely happy in that role. Great relationship with my mom and dad; great relationship with the coworkers around me; doing interviews, signing autographs, living this amazing … and then this nightmarish other existence.”

Winter refuses to name his abuser, who he says has died.

Explaining how it has scarred him for life, he adds: “I had extreme PTSD for many, many years, and that will wreak havoc on you.”