Max Casella says he took growth hormones and didn’t hit puberty until he was 27

“I was a guy trapped in a boy’s body for most of my 20s until I was finally pumped full of testosterone,” says Max Casella.

Max Casella talks about not going through puberty until the late 20s.

The 55-year-old actor told Page Six that he suffered from pituitary dwarfism and was 27 when he hit puberty.

“They gave me testosterone,” he told the outlet Wednesday at the premiere of the Paramount + Tulsa King series starring Casella. “I use growth hormone; I’m still on those things. My body doesn’t go through the transition on its own.”

Casella explains: “I was born with a malfunctioning pituitary gland and had to start puberty pumping testosterone and growth hormone to make me grow because that wasn’t happening. I’m 25 and not open about the condition; Casella described it as a ” horror show” and added, “I can’t talk about it. Nobody got it. It’s like the trans community today talking about body dysmorphia and the “I’m in the wrong body” feeling, my experience.

Of course. I was a guy stuck in a boy’s body for most of my 20s until I finally pumped myself on testosterone.”

In an exclusive interview published on Friday, Casella told news how looking younger than she has affected her acting career. In his late 20s, the actor struggled to land the role he aspired to. “Showbiz can get into your heart,” he said matter-of-factly.

“You go to Los Angeles, you’re on a TV show, you get famous, and then you’re famous for that show for a while. I was 20 years old, playing kid, pre-teen characters. And then I grew out of that and grew up to be a man and had to start all over again because it wasn’t a smooth transition like it has with some lucky people.” Casella, who appeared in films such as 1992’s Newsies with Christian Bale and Sergeant Bilko from 1996 alongside Steve Martin, felt like a movie star or a bust at that time.