NEW YORK
Brad Pitt has opened up about his battle with alcohol which reportedly played a role in his break-up with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. In a freewheeling interview with The New York Times, The 55-year-old actor shared the story of his road to sobriety and his decision to scale back on acting.
"I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privilege, Pitt said. The actor revealed that as part of his recovery, he turned to Alcoholics Anonymous, a group session with fellow alcoholics, where they would share their struggles with liquor.
Brad Pitt: Got sober because of Bradley Cooper
You had all these men sitting around being open and honest in a way I have never heard. It was this safe space where there was little judgment, and therefore little judgment of yourself, Pitt said.
It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself. There's great value in that, he added. During the interview, the actor also shared his experiences of being labelled as a born superstar in the 90s and how the constant media attention affected him.
In the '90s, all that attention really threw me. It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments. I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion, Pitt said.
Asked about his recent statement where he called acting a younger man's game, the actor said he plans to try other stuff, like producing which he has been doing through his banner Plan B.
Producing just means you don't have to get up really early and put on makeup, he said. About his future in acting, he said, It'll be fewer and farther in between for me, just because I have other things I want to do now. When you feel like you've finally got your arms around something, then it's time to go get your arms around something else.
Pitt is currently awaiting the release of James Gray-directed space epic Ad Astra. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival recently. It will hit the theatres worldwide on September 20.
