While he's almost always in a silly mood, funnyman Joel McHale took on a more somber tone while chatting with E! News' Giuliana Rancic and Jason Kennedy at the Hollywood premiere of the documentary Bully.
Surprisingly, the Soup host was a victim of bullying, himself.
"I was bullied and then I grew very quickly in seventh grade and the guys that used to bully me no longer did that…My brothers and I, we used to have to sneak home and run around because we had these kids in my neighborhood called the ‘Mean Kids'—pretty creative name—and they used to run up and push us…We had these weird, our parents used to make us wear these weird ID necklaces…they would rip them off and it was great."
But in all seriousness, McHale urges young kids to "tell an adult" if they're being bullied.
Victoria Justice was more than happy to throw her support behind the film and its powerful message. The star of Nickelodeon's Victorious told Rancic and Kennedy that bullying touches more than just the person being bullied.
"I just think that now is the time to try and put a stop to it. So, I think even if you're not being personally bullied, yourself, it doesn't matter, you can still be affected by it. And when I saw this movie, I was so emotional, I was so moved and I just wanted to give all the kids a huge hug because they shouldn't have to go through this and it's not acceptable. The school should be a safe environment where you trust the teachers and you're being treated fairly."
Jennifer Hall of Up All Night is no stranger when it comes to trying to fit in at a young age, and such a topic holds dear to her heart.
"I was raised in the military—my mother's in the Air Force—so I moved around every three years most of my life. And I was always the new kid, always trying to figure out who's going to be my friend, who isn't going to be my friend. It's really hard to fit in, it's hard to find where you belong, and that's just a topic that really gets to my heart, is people just trying to find a place where they belong, and I think it's a really important story to be told."
Filmmaker Lee Hirsch hopes the documentary creates a lasting effect on those who watch it and possibly inspire them to make a change.
"We see everyone as change makers, that they can sort of make a decision after seeing this film, that tomorrow's gonna be a little different, they're gonna look out for someone, make that effort to befriend someone that's being bullied. You don't have to change the world to stop bullying, you just have to take those small steps."
Bully opens in select theaters this Friday.