Nathaniel Forrest Winters was born in June 1975, in Martinez, California, to an artistic mother and a vagabond father who was only present during his early childhood. Winters grew up to be a quiet, analytical, and well-mannered child with a keen eye for detail and a passion for performing.
At the age of six, Winters and his family met Victor Salva, a 23-year-old amateur filmmaker who would become a close and trusted friend to the family.
Winters' family was introduced to Salva through his work at a daycare center. At the age of nine, after much deliberation, Winters convinced Salva to allow him to audition for a part in his newest project, "Something In The Basement." Out of nineteen young hopefuls, Winters won the starring role, and also starred alongside Brian Mchugh in the 28-minute short film.
"Something In The Basement" went on to win first place in its category at the Sony film festival in San Francisco, and also caught the attention of Hollywood elite Francis Ford Coppola, who was on the panel of judges.
With Coppola on board as producer and a legitimate budget, Salva wrote the 1989 cult classic "ClownHouse" with Winters in mind as the lead role, Casey Collins. The film was shot on a grueling schedule in 30 days, with the added perk of using the same cameras used to shoot "American Graffiti." However, the noise made by the cameras was so loud that every bit of dialogue and sound had to be dubbed over.
Just as post-production began, Winters discovered the truth and confirmed his mother's suspicions. Salva was arrested and charged with 11 counts of child molestation. Despite the financial and moral support of Coppola, Salva was only convicted of the four least severe charges, including soliciting and procuring a child under 14 for pornography. He was sentenced to three years, of which he served 15 months.
Nathan has since become a powerful voice and advocate for the prevention of sexual abuse, and has said that being told at the age of 12 by Coppola that he would never work in the industry again left a sour taste for the film industry. Winters began writing and performing music at the age of 15, and found his true calling.
As the frontman and mastermind behind his music project, 7he Seven Stone, Winters has recently finished his first film score for his upcoming documentary, "7he 6oy," directed by Connar Frazier. The documentary, due for release on October 31st, 2019, chronicles the darkness of childhood sexual abuse and his journey of healing that has led him to where he is today.
