Brad Pitt to Tom Holland: Hollywood actors who spoke about addiction and sobriety

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to alcohol and drug addiction.

Behind the sparkling lights of acting and cameras, there are struggles that many celebrities often do not disclose in public. However, many courageous personalities of Hollywood described their experience of being an addict and their difficult journey of opting for sobriety. From Brad Pitt to Bradley Cooper, actors have changed their lifestyles to become healthier and live their lives with dignity. Let’s take a look at the actors who spoke about addiction and sobriety.


DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please seek help from available helplines or support organizations.

Brad Pitt, who has had a long history of addiction, confessed to going to Alcoholics Anonymous, becoming a pivotal part of his sobriety journey. “I just thought it was just incredible — men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humor with it. I thought it was a really special experience," Pitt said in a candid chat on Dax Shepard's "The Armchair Expert" podcast. Initially, the ‘Fight Club’ actor used to feel hesitant to open up about his vulnerability, but gradually he became comfortable. “I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open. I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting,” he said, before adding how much it meant for him.

Tom Holland, the actor renowned for his role as ‘Spider-Man,’ revealed that there was a time when all he could think about was a drink. Thinking about the reason why he needed the liquid assistance, the star mentioned that he used to feel less anxious, which slowly turned into being dependent on a drink. “I really worked to change my mindset, and I asked myself, ‘Why do you drink?’ And a lot of the time, my answer would be, ‘To feel more comfortable in a social environment,’” he said in a podcast interview with Jay Shetty, before adding, “With me, most of it is just the ritual of cracking something open and sharing it with friends and drinking it. Whether it’s sparkling water or beer, I now can’t see a difference.” Now, he loves his mornings, playing golf, and being a dependable person as a driver when he goes out with friends.

Anne Hathaway chose to discontinue drinking because it led to her having massive hangovers. “My last hangover lasted for five days. When I’m at a stage in my life where there is enough space for me to have a hangover, I’ll start drinking again, but that won’t be until my kid is out of the house,” she said, per People. However, it has been more than five years since she touched a drink. Hathaway felt that her drinking was not the problem, but lasting hangovers were certainly the pain that left her with mental scars. Looking at the positive outcome, she feels forty as a gift and sobriety as a milestone.

Drew Barrymore, one of the successful names in the industry, was once black-listed for once after she became an addict as a teenager. However, she was admitted to a rehab center a year later, but she tried to self-harm. The actress-host claimed that giving up alcohol has been one of the most liberating things in her life, in her magazine, Drew. She added that giving up alcohol allowed her “to finally become free of the torture of guilt and dysfunction.” Furthermore, she opened up about how no substance had helped her after all. “It’s been long enough where I’m in a lifestyle that I know is really working on a high road for my little journey, and there’s so much peace finally being had where there were demons,” she said during a 2021 CBS interview, where she was two years sober.

Bradley Cooper quit drinking in 2004 and gives all the credit to Will Arnett, the’Smartless’ podcast host. “Will took the risk of having that hard conversation with me that put me on the path of deciding to change my life. It is truly Will Arnett, he is the reason,” he said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. In another interview, the actor expressed that he considered himself lucky that he became sober when he was 29. “In terms of alcohol and drugs, yeah, but nothing to do with fame,” he said when asked whether he had wild years, while talking with famed survivalist Grylls.