Photo: JC Olivera/WireImage
Zack Gottsagen dreamed of being an actor as he grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“I used to watchShia LaBeoufonEven Stevens,” Gottsagen, 34, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I would dream of working with him someday.”
While some thought Gottsagen’s acting goal seemed unlikely because he has Down syndrome, Gottsagen never let that stop him. (A genetic condition, Down causes developmental delays and mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.) He enrolled in a performing arts school and took acting lessons, and after years of training and dedication to the craft, Gottsagen achieved what many thought would be impossible. Now Gottsagen stars in the new filmThe Peanut Butter Falconwith LaBeouf, 33, and Dakota Johnson. Gottsagen plays ayoung man Down syndromewho runs away from a nursing home.
“Down syndrome won’t stop me,” Gottsagen says. “I knew I could do it. It was hard sometimes, but I knew if I worked hard, I would do a good job, and I did. I’m really proud of myself.”
For more on ZachGottsagen, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday
RELATED VIDEO: Ms. Wheelchair USA 2019 Winner Brittany Hawley: ‘My Pain Is Driving Me To Be Who I Want To Be’
Zack also wowed his costars. “There were times his eyes were the only thing I could look at,” LaBeouf says. “He’s creatively masterful. He was my rock.”
Adds Johnson, 29: “Working with Zack was the most honest and loving experience I’ve had with another actor. He’s pure light, and he totally changed my heart.”
And Zack feels just as accomplished.
“People think that someone with Down can’t do things,” Zack says. “I want to prove them wrong. If they watch me in a movie, maybe they’ll think that they can do anything too. Maybe someone else with a disability will follow their dreams because of me.”
The Peanut Butter Falcon opens Friday.
source: people.com
