I've yet to see Honey Boy (maybe not until it's on Amazon Prime!) but, I have to ask: Did it change your perspective on the Even Stevens show, or have you been able to separate the two?

@dominik528 I’ve seen a lot of people saying that they “can never watch Even Stevens again after watching Honey Boy” or that “Even Stevens will never be the same” and it’s a little upsetting/frustrating. So, I’m answering this publicly because I think it’s important for people to know…

We’ve definitely been able to separate the two, for a few reasons. Shia seems to be at peace with the past today and had an absolute nostalgic blast reacting to The Even Stevens Movie during #AllMyMovies, so if he can get that much joy out of it - I think it’s okay for us to enjoy it as well. He has said that he has “nothing but love” for Even Stevens and that “some of the best memories of his life” are from being on that show. So, it seems like Shia himself has managed to separate the two.

While it’s terrible that Shia’s life behind the scenes was not great, his time on set was the opposite. We just interviewed show-runners Marc Warren and Dennis Rinsler (the episode will be up in a few days…) and talked about this a little bit. They stated that Even Stevens was probably Shia’s “savior,” if anything, during that time in his life. On the Honey Boy podcast Part 3, Shia also says that he’s never been more “free” and “in his element” on a set than he was on Even Stevens. In this case, I think it’s wonderful that we get to see a “free” and extremely talented young Shia shine on screen like that. He also stays in contact with some of the cast/crew. The fact that an old crew member gifted Shia one of Louis’ old Hawaiian shirts… and he’s since added it to his wardrobe, is also very sweet.

So, all in all, I personally think it’s pretty easy to separate the two. I can understand how it might be jarring and difficult for some people to do that after watching Honey Boy for the first time though. But at the end of the day, it’s important to remember that Shia holds the show in high regard and that pretty much tells us all we need to know.

Long story short: It’s definitely okay to watch and enjoy Even Stevens post-Honey Boy. :)