Quotes

[on wishing he had heard a story like his own in his early 20s] - This would have helped me, at least, if someone would have made me realize that you don't need to do drugs to be artistic and express yourself. If you want to be artistic, if you want to be creative, if you want to express yourself, you can't let things get in your way, and drugs are included in that.

[on hitting rock bottom with being a drug and alcohol addict in 2009] - I had come back to L.A. for something, and I drank a whole bottle of Scotch, and I thought to myself, 'I'm going to die in this hotel room with this bottle of Scotch. It was after that I told a friend for the first time: 'I'm a drug addict, and an alcoholic, and I need help. I need help or I'm going to die.'

[on what happened after American Beauty (1999)] - I wanted fame, but I thought it would be incremental, and I became afraid of the overnight-sensation thing. I started walking into rooms, and everyone would look at me, and I would freeze up. People kept saying, "You have to find your next movie" and that didn't make life any better.

(2012, on his sobriety) I'm now at two and a half years sober. A little over two and half years. I can't believe it. I can't believe that I'm alive, much less than I'm able to do the things I'm able to do just on a daily basis. Back then I was stuck. I literally physically couldn't move before and now I have a 14 month old son and I'm back in the sunlight... It helps to be sober and be in this world. Not just sober meaning not drinking and doing drugs, but my mind is sober. I'm clear about my life now. I actually really want to be a part of great projects like this and I actually enjoy the promotion aspects of it now. I've found out I do like that stuff.

(2012, on his former drug & alcohol addiction) I was risking everything to get drugs. I was driving around with homeless guys and people just out of prison, then I'd hit the streets and smoke all day. I'd already nodded off on set a couple times, and now I was being asked to leave auditions mid-reading because it was just so sad for them. I missed my brother's wedding because I was so messed up... The shakes, hearing voices, paranoia - those were daily occurrences for me. I was nearly dead, and I didn't care.