John Goodman fought a brutal struggle against alcoholism and despair for his life. He openly admitted that if he could persuade himself otherwise, he’d be unstoppable in his pursuit of drink.
He compared the toll on his body to having a constant “walking heart attack.” Despite his struggles with his inner demons, he overcame his addictions and lived to tell his story.
John Goodman, a well-known entertainer, who turned 71 years old. Before mesmerizing audiences with his performances in noteworthy films such as The Flinstones, Blues Brothers, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, and others, The Borrowers’ esteemed American actor faced tremendous misery due to a series of catastrophic personal ordeals.
Goodman never shied away from exposing his issues with alcoholism during his career. This ailment plagued him for more than three decades and forever affected his life. He frankly confessed in a 2012 interview that his drinking habits were indeed “absolutely” impacting his acting career.
When asked about the effects of his drinking, Goodman said, “Temperament, Memory, and Depression.”
He described the intensity of his alcoholism, saying, “I mean, there were countless moments when I could have easily drowned.” I guess it wasn’t an overdose but rather a sequence of mishaps.”
Although the famous actor was able to quit drinking in 2007, he admitted that maintaining sobriety daily created considerable hurdles. At times, he found himself battling strange visions in which he came across a bottle of bourbon and succumbed to its charm.
“I’ll tell myself, ‘Hey, I shouldn’t be doing that,’” he said of his inner conversation during such dreams. But a part of me says, ‘Waaah, that’s OK!’ It’s something you do all the time! ‘You always sneak it!’” When he awoke, he found the voices entertaining rather than disturbing.
Goodman highlighted the necessity of associating with positive people and maintaining his commitment to sobriety. He believed that nothing could stop him if he sincerely wanted to drink.
Furthermore, he admitted that the continual worry of unemployment, a common concern in the acting industry, was a driving reason behind his drinking.
“It’s all alcohol.” “I’m an alcoholic,” he said. “However, I would drink.” Finding any possible reason to drink became part of my alcoholic inclination. Nonetheless, my existence has been characterized by enormous stress.
The industry I selected is always tight, and I exacerbated that strain by abusing alcohol and other drugs. The continual possibility of layoffs added to the stress.”
Looking back, Goodman realized he had been in denial about the consequences of his actions. Given his appearance, he was astounded that anyone would hire him, as he frequently appeared to be having a heart attack while on the move.
Despite the difficulties, Goodman found refuge in the acting trade, especially in the theater, which he described as “fired from a cannon.”
“When you step on that stage, an adrenaline rush engulfs you, and by the end of the evening, you’re utterly exhausted,” Roseanne Barr revealed.
This prominent theater artist regularly struggled to recall his lines due to sickness. However, he found the experience of filming a movie to be very different. It required patience and long days, which frequently felt like they went on forever.
“I faced a significant issue with it,” he said. It was similar to a snowball effect. “After a while of drinking, the lines faded away.”