Earlier this week, on June 20, 2022, the legendary actor John Goodman turned 70. Before his fame from roles in *The Flintstones*, *Blues Brothers*, and *The Big Lebowski*, Goodman faced serious personal struggles.
Goodman has been open about his battle with alcoholism, which lasted over 30 years and deeply impacted his life and career. In a 2012 interview, he confessed the drinking was “certainly” affecting his acting work, including his “temperament, memory, [and] depression.”
By 2015, he revealed just how “bad” his drinking had gotten, saying: “I mean, there’s many times I could have gone under. Not overdosed, but… well… misadventure.”
Goodman achieved sobriety in 2007, though he admitted it remains a daily struggle. He described having dreams about drinking, where he would think, “You sneak it all the time!” before waking up and realizing, “No, I don’t.” He added: “The voices were worrisome at first. Now they’re just funny.”
He also confessed the “constant threat of unemployment” in acting contributed to his drinking, saying: “I would drink no matter what… I’ve made it more stressful by drinking and using drugs… I looked like a walking heart attack.”