Actors Who Battle Drug And Drinking Addictions

[USATVFAN]

Name actors Who Battled Drugs And Drinking Addictons

Matthew Perry 1997-2001-His Addiction Almost Got Him Fired From Friends

[BarneyFife]

Charlie Sheen

[Alternativ]

Robert Downey Jr.

[Brian Damage]

Jeff Conaway

[samanddiane4eva]

Kelsey Grammer

[treky]

I've never thought his was as bad as people say; since he was on "CHEERS" at the time (and became a regular while he was going through his problem) and then his own series-and it wasn't until the 2nd season that he got "cured".

[USATVFAN]

Tim Allen

[vtunie]

The list could go on forever... Louella, where are you when we need you? :)

Hollywood, all of performing arts, all "creative activity" has always had its share of drugs.

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure dome decree" -- famous opium trance!

[megamanj2004]

Kene Holliday - "Matlock"; his drug and alcohol problems got him fired from Matlock after several seasons.

Hugh O'Connor - adopted son of Caroll O'Connor and cast member of "In the Heat of the Night" - was actually brought on that show to get away from drug problems by his adopted father. Even after "In the Heat of the Night" ended, his drug problems led to his suicide.

Freddie Prinze, Sr. - had battled drug problems in S2 of "Chico and the Man" and his drug problems were part of what led to his untimely death at 22.

[snl 70s show fan]

lisa robin kelly of that 70s show and neil carter of gimmie a break

[Heidi Dawn]

MacKenzie Phillips, she got let go twice on One Day at a Time.

Lauren Tewes, she got fired from Love Boat and was replaced by Pat Klous.

[Heather987]

-Dana Plato and Todd Bridges - Different Strokes

-Mary Tyler Moore (admitted to Betty Ford in the 80's for Alcoholism or so it was reported, not sure if its rumor or truth)

-The guy who played Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy was said to have a problem with Alcohol before I Love Lucy and Desi made him promise not to drink while on set (not sure if he was an addict or just drank a lot before work prompting this request)

[Zoneboy]

Gig Young's battle with the bottle cost him two very prominent roles. He was originally chosen to play the part of the Waco Kid in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles but was replaced by Gene Wilder because he was suffering from delirium on the set.

He was originally cast as the voice of Charles Townsend for the TV Series "Charlie's Angels" but was too drunk to record his lines and was replaced at the last minute by John Forsythe.

[repeatshistory]

Hollywood, all of performing arts, all "creative activity" has always had its share of drugs.



Speaking as a stunt man, actor, producer, director and full-time disc jockey, I resent that remark. I have NEVER taken illegal drugs, nor taken legal ones in a manner not prescribed by my physician. I don't drink or smoke either. ALL 'creative activity' is a very broad statement, that doesn't hold water.

[comedyfreak]

Kim Delaney who was in NYPD Blue then got her own show had a drug problem which ended her show where she played a lawyer on Philly.

[megamanj2004]

I keep forgetting about those two.

Todd Bridges had been in and out of jail numerous times b/c of his drug problems and Dana Plato winding up dead b/c of her addictions.

Paul Lynde - Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and center square on the original Hollywood Squares had been on drugs and alcohol for numerous years on HS. He snorted quite a lot of coke and cocaine.

[mstewart]

Betty Buckley was addicted to cocaine during her run on Eight Is Enough.

MacKenzie Phillips' battle with drug and alcohol was the first that was out in the open.

[catlover79]

Dick York battled the aftermath of a degenerative back injury and an addiction to painkillers because of it. He ended up suffering a seizure on the Bewitched set and he ended up leaving the show because of it. Even though I guess he technically wasn't an actor, Andy Gibb's cocaine problem got him kicked off Solid Gold.

[snl 70s show fan]

andy dick of newsradio

[Heather987]

Kirsty Ally and Valerie Bertanelli have both admitted to drug use in the past
Willy Ames was on drugs
Larry Hagman was an alcoholic not sure about drugs though
Nicole Richie not really an actor but she was on a TV show was hooked on drugs

[dawsongirl]

Desi Arnaz, Jr. was an alcoholic. And so was his father.

[catlover79]

Desi Arnaz, Jr. was an alcoholic. And so was his father.
That's right - not to mention that Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) battled drug addiction for many years himself. Has anyone else here read his fantastic autobiography, Life After Lucy?? It's a fascinating read and a must for all Lucy fans.

[coffield3]

Desi Arnaz, Jr. was an alcoholic. And so was his father.

OMG I never knew that, I heard/read that Desi liked a drink but a alcoholic geez, and then his son was aswell how sad :(

[megamanj2004]

Another "In the Heat of the Night" co-star in Howard Rollins had been battling substance abuse problems for a number of years, before, during and even after "In the Heat of the Night," which ultimately led to his death from lymphoma cancer in 1996.

Didn't Robert Reed of "The Brady Bunch" also had battles w/ the bottle and/or the drugs off-camera?

Jeff Conaway

His drug problems were quite obvious when he appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club" 3 when he nearly died in the hospital from overdosing on pills.

[catlover79]

Another "In the Heat of the Night" co-star in Howard Rollins had been battling substance abuse problems for a number of years, before, during and even after "In the Heat of the Night," which ultimately led to his death from lymphoma cancer in 1996.

Didn't Robert Reed of "The Brady Bunch" also had battles w/ the bottle and/or the drugs off-camera?



His drug problems were quite obvious when he appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club" 3 when he nearly died in the hospital from overdosing on pills.
I heard that Howard Rollins' substance abuse problems led to him getting kicked off In the Heat of the Night, and he was replaced in the final season by Carl Weathers.

[megamanj2004]

I heard that Howard Rollins' substance abuse problems led to him getting kicked off In the Heat of the Night, and he was replaced in the final season by Carl Weathers.

Although he made a few small appearances in the final season, it was Rollins' further legal troubles w/ the law (this time w/ DUI's) that got him barred from the city where "In the Heat of the Night" filmed at and also led to the death of his career and his life.

Shame how two people from the same show died within nearly the same time frame as one another.

1st Hugh (O'Connor), then Howard (Rollins).

[vtunie]

Speaking as a stunt man, actor, producer, director and full-time disc jockey, I resent that remark. I have NEVER taken illegal drugs, nor taken legal ones in a manner not prescribed by my physician. I don't drink or smoke either. ALL 'creative activity' is a very broad statement, that doesn't hold water.

If you're clean, congrats to you (or not, as the case may be)... BUT I did NOT say that everyone in show business or every "creative type" is a druggie. Sorry, but why the resentment? :)