Almost two decades after School of Rock came out, fans still recognize Rivkah Reyes as Katie, the 10-year-old bass player in Dewey Finn (Jack Black's) band.

The actor, who uses they/them pronouns,

Almost two decades after School of Rock came out, fans still recognize Rivkah Reyes as Katie, the 10-year-old bass player in Dewey Finn (Jack Black's) band.

The actor, who uses they/them pronouns, got their big break by appearing in the 2003 film and is grateful for the experience. However, Reyes is now opening up about how the role ultimately led to a 10-year battle with bullying and addiction. 

In an interview with the New York Post on Tuesday, March 2, Reyes recounted being bullied by classmates after the film was released. 

"Especially after production wrapped, when I first came back to school, people were really nice or really mean. There was no middle ground," they said. "I was literally followed around the school with people chanting School of Rock."

Reyes hoped if they landed another, bigger part, "they'll stop calling you Katie," they told the outlet. Harassment from kids and strangers contributed to Reyes becoming "a raging addict" and forced them to eventually overcome "a lot of demons," they said.