In a new interview for fashion magazine CR Men Issue 7, 13 Reasons Why and Love, Simon star Miles Heizer gets candid as he navigates controversy and his career in today's hot-button climate.
The CR Men Issue 7 marks the first issue under the editorial and creative direction of Patrik Sandberg. The latest issue hits stands September 13th, but is available for pre-order now.
CR Men Issue 7
When asked if the coming out narrative of Love, Simon -- that some argued wasn't needed in 2018 -- still has a place in today's media landscape, Heizer responds, "I'm sure that story still speaks to people. It's a topic that doesn't get talked about that much in movies anyways. If that's the story [writers] want to tell, go for it."
Similarly, he's asked about the controversy surrounding 13 Reasons Why over its portrayal of suicide and self-harm.
"We feel responsibility to treat the storylines with care and respect," he says, addressing the controversy. "When I was younger, I was so affected by movies and TV. They truly shaped me as a person. Even the emo phase. Like music, that was such a huge part of me, my entire identity. When I was younger, I would watch movies and want so badly to be those characters, and try to emulate them, and be so affected by it. If I'm able to disconnect enough from myself, where I realize someone feels the same way I did when I was young about this [series] that I was a part of, it's kind of crazy."
CR Men Issue 7
"I didn't have a show like 13 Reasons Why when I was a teenager," he continues. "I would have benefited a lot from something like that to help me learn about myself and have people to relate to who looked like me, acted like me, were my age, and going through things that I definitely was not comfortable talking about, like anxiety or depression...It has a lot of potential to help a lot of people at the end of the day. But I understand the concerns and I'm not going to try to discredit anyone for having them."
To read the entire interview, pre-order CR Men Issue 7 and be among the first to receive it when it ships in September. The issue will be on stands September 13th.
