Ruin and Recovery: Jason Biggs’ Hard-Fought Journey to Getting Clean

Someone who spent his or her teenage years in the late 1990’s up to the early 2000’s would have probably heard – or even binge watched – the American Pie film franchise. This iconic sex comedy gifted pop culture a multitiude of memorable characters including Paul Finch, Chris Ostreicher, Nadia, Kevin Myers, Steve Stifler, Jeanine Stifler aka Stifler’s Mom, Noah Levenstein aka Jim’s Dad, and of course, Jim Levenstein. All thanks to Jason Biggs’ amazing work on portraying the character, Jim Levenstein’s infamous apple pie scene continues to be one of the funniest scenes in Hollywood films. However, while American Pie movies are all jokes and laughter, Jason Biggs’ real life is far more of a serious discussion. 

Life before the international hit 

Stardom started out early for Biggs. Pre-American Pie fame, Biggs had been acting as early as 5 years old. He is a New Jersey native, born in Pompton Plains to parents Gary Louis and Angela Biggs. His childhood was marked with taking on different acting roles, eventually earning his Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in a Pathmark TV commercial in 1988, gracing the television for the first time. With amusement, Biggs recounted the said acting gig in a 2015 TV Guide interview, saying “I remember I had to eat a doughnut in one of the shots. Over and over again. Awesome.”

But it was not until 1991 that Biggs would land his television series debut. Though short lived, Biggs was able to star in FOX’s Drexell’s Class, lasting only from 1991 to 1992 with 18 episodes. Following his small role in the series, the American Pie star would go on to be a part of HBO’s The Fotis Sevastakis Story when he was 12. The series was set to air but was unfortunately cancelled due to licensing issues. While the series didn’t air, Biggs was able to debut on Broadway in the same year through the Conversations with My Father production. In the years following his debut, Biggs would take on two more roles in various Broadway productions, including The Graduate as Benjamin Braddock in 2002 and The Heidi Chronicles as Scoop Rosenbaum in 2015. 

 In both the small and silver screen, Biggs had far more appearances. He starred in the 1994-95 soap opera As the World Turns, earning nominations from Daytime Emmy Awards and Soap Opera Digest Award for his role as Pete Wendall. His long list of filmography would then include Loser (2000), Saving Silverman (2001), Anything Else (2003),  Guy X (2005) Eight Below (2006), and My Best Friend’s Girl (2008), where he would eventually meet his future wife, Jenny Mollen. He also lent his voice to Leonardo for two seasons of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012-2014). Across 22 episodes, Biggs appeared as Larry Bloom in Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019). In 1996 to 1997, Biggs briefly attended New York University at the same time he was in the TV series Camp Stories. He left shortly after, deciding to pursue his acting career full-time. 2 years later, Biggs would be Jim Levenstein for all the 4 movies of American Pie (1999, 2001, 2003, 2012), which turned out to be his breakout role becoming a pop culture icon worldwide. 

Earning the coin: The rocky path to recovery

Despite a seemingly steady-going path, with a successful career and a happy marriage bearing 2 sons, Biggs personal life was not free of controversy and problems. 

Apart from starring roles, Biggs also became frequented by controversies following his behavior from 2012 to 2014. The actor, who was a highly active Twitter user, had been repeatedly seen making insensitive statements online on numerous occasions. This counts his distasteful sexual remarks about Ann Romney and Janna Ryan in a Republican National Convention-related tweet, offensive statements about the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and even an inappropriate tweet about the  untimely death of Eric Hill,  a The Bachelorette contestant. With all these mentioned, Biggs tried to defend his action in an interview last 2012, claiming that “his real personality is so different from those of the characters he usually plays” and that his humor is “very fucked up”. He later apologized for the tweets. 

On a more personal level, the movie star was battling a different problem altogether — alcohol and drug addiction. Though most of the star’s life has been under the spotlight since his childhood, little is known about his struggles. In an article from People last 2018, the now 43-year old actor admitted his toxic encounter with the addictive substances:

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“I first tried to get sober over 5 years ago, when the weight of my obsession with booze and drugs became too heavy for me to handle,” the Orange is the New Black star bravely captioned in his Instagram post following his one-year sobriety anniversary, which the actor also realized: “Turns out this shit is hard.”

Biggs recently earned the silver coin from his recovery program after his one-year milestone. His wife for more than 10 years, Jenny Mollen, also celebrated his husband’s achievement by posting on her Instagram account as well. 

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A post shared by Jenny Mollen Biggs (@jennymollen)

“So proud of my husband today. Congrats baby. I know how hard you work. I see you. I love you,” Mollen said in a brief yet heartfelt caption, “Thank you for your fight.”

The movie star, on his same Instagram post, also said that “I’m as proud of it as anything in my life.” after running into some “fits and starts” that made him achieve a hard-earned full year of being sober. 

As a much fitting conclusion, Biggs ended his message by telling the people who are sharing the same struggle that “there’s help”, and that “don’t be ashamed, we can do it.”

Now more than one year sober, Biggs is currently dedicating his time in acting for the sitcom Outmatched (2020), guesting in The Masked Singer (2020) and hosting for Cherries Wild (2021).

Also nearing your 1-year sobriety anniversary? Share it with us in the comments and inspire others with your progress! Or if you are still struggling why not reach out and speak to a therapist today

Richard Clune’s Journey of Addiction and Sobriety Shows How Recovery is Hard Earned

An esteemed NHL player. A hockey team captain. An ice hockey left winger. An overall professional, driven athlete. When the name Richard Clune is being floated, there is no shortage of athletic recognition that can be associated with the award-winning ice hockey player. From OHL and ECHL up to AHL and eventually NHL, there seems to be no hockey league Clune cannot dominate. Clune’s sterling playing career has been all over the news, the papers, and trophies, but little is known about the athlete behind the helmet. Unbeknownst to many, ice hockey championships are not the biggest battles the hockey star had to win. 

Inside the life of a famed athlete 

It seemed like the stars were aligned for Clune right from the start. Born as the eldest child to former hockey player Tom Clune and Anne Marie Clune, the future ice hockey star had already picked up his foam hockey at 2 and learned to skate at 5. The young Clune always “had this fire in his eyes with every sport”, according to his mother Anne Marie in an interview for ESPN. It was also reported that the father-son duo’s favorite bonding was to watch junior hockey games together, as the older Clune was then teaching East End kids how to skate. All this, in addition to his father’s shared passion for the sport, forged Clune’s rise to hockey stardom. 

Clune’s athletic gift would not be hidden for long as come college time, the then 16-year old athlete would be scouted through the Toronto minor hockey system. Clune, a gifted individual in both academics and sports, moved out to Sarnia to play for the Ontario Hockey League’s Sting under 3 conditions from his parents: “do well in school, keep your nose clean and pursue a post-secondary education.” 

From there onward, Clune’s playing career was what every aspiring hockey player could only dream of. In a span of just two years, Clune would be hailed the OHL’s scholastic player of the year, earning the Bobby Smith Trophy for his 21 goals and 34 points finish. This was followed by representing Canada for the World Under-18s in the Czech Republic, bagging the silver medal. While competing for another international tournament in the same year, Clune already earned a spot in the 2005 draft list of the Dallas Stars.

Clune earned professional status by officially signing a contract with the Dallas Stars on March 25, 2007, from which he would make his ice hockey debut with the affiliate team Iowa Stars. In the following year, Clune would play for Los Angeles Kings, trading Lauri Tukonen for him. The now Kings player would suffer a chest injury during a training session in October that year, leading him to be reassigned to the Manchester Monarchs. Clune would briefly appear in 4 games in 2010 playoffs before hitting the rink again in the 2012–13 lockout-shortened season, this time with the Nashville Predators. The contract would be extended until the 2014-15 season. He was then reassigned to AHL under Milwaukee Admirals, appearing in a single game before earning a release to free agency on June 27, 2015. Clune would eventually sign a contract with Toronto Marlies and then to the parent club Toronto Maple Leafs during the same year. 

Hockey stick down: hitting rock bottom

Unlike the usual expectations from celebrities, Clune did not have a history of an abusive childhood, divorce, sexual exploitation, or other traumatic experiences that led to his eventual addiction. Clune, however, was intaking illegal substances and drinking heavily for a different matter altogether — he was “rebelling”

“I had all this positive stuff that I had going for me. I was always a happy-go-lucky guy, but I started walking around with a chip on my shoulder,” the NHL star recounted, “That’s when the drinking really started to pick up. I pretty much made friends with all the shady characters in town.”

Clune started drinking when he was only 13. It didn’t progress into a full on addiction until years later, when he cut classes and broke curfew with his teammates to pursue a hardcore party lifestyle. And as the fatal cherry on top, Clune eventually added drugs into the mix. 

The renowned athlete, currently at the height of his career, said that he was unhappy and that maybe he was tired of living up to the expectations, according to the same interview for ESPN. 

“I put the team in an awful position,” Clune admitted, “I was a different player back then. I was kind of selfish. I would never fight to stick up for my teammates. I really had no interest in the team anymore.”

As his urge to find a way out grows stronger, Clune turned to alcohol and drugs some more, saying “the more [he] scored, the more [he] partied.”

Clune also went on to say, “From the outside, you feel you have everything going for you, but inside you’re hurting,” highlighting the destructive impact of hardcore partying on his self-esteem and, not to mention his playing career. 

Alcohol addiction is a scary place to be. If you are concerned about your own drinking you should consider talking to a professional today

The last straw came when his teammates began cutting him off following his self-destructive behaviors of showing up to crucial games hungover and dysfunctional. Jonathan Bernier, the Kings backup at the time, even explicitly called him a “piece of sh*t”. This is when Clune ultimately decided to take the first step in recovery — seeking help from his family. 

ESPN reported that the athlete  “first went into treatment as an in-patient and then as a twice-a-week outpatient, “ all with the unrelenting support of his parents, as well as his two younger brothers, Matt and Ben, and his coach, Barry Trotz. 

Following his decade-long battle to keep his sobriety, a documentary film entitled, Hi, My Name is Dicky, was produced to shed light on professional athletes’ hidden battle with addiction.  The film was released last year at the height of COVID-19 lockdown worldwide, serving as guiding light to everyone who’s going through the same struggles during the isolation. 

Clune is currently 11 years sober as of writing, and is currently mentoring young NHL players sharing the same aspirations. 

Clune’s brave admittance of his role in his addiction is no easy feat. Ever had the same experience to share? Let us know in the comments and help save a life together with us, one inspiring story at a time. Or if you want to talk a professional click here to be connected with one today

“It was fun and I loved it, until it wasn’t”: Eliza Dushku Comes Clean about Her History of Addiction

Before we geeked out on the Twilight saga and before we were binge-watching The Vampire Diaries for days on end, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And who would have remembered the said classic 90’s highschool vampire adventures without Eliza Dushku’s “Faith Lehane”? Originally slated to only be a minor role, the rough and tumble, dark-lipped slayer went on to become one of the most popular characters in the entire series. However, while the fandom knew Eliza Dushku as the talented actress behind Faith Lehane, only a little is known about her struggle with addiction, as is all too familiar with people undergoing the same illness. 

From child actress to Hollywood star

Eliza Dushku was not Faith Lehane from the start. She was first Eliza Patricia Dushku, nicknamed Duck Shoot, born to parents Philip and Judith Dushku who are both educators. Together with her three siblings, Dushku grew up with a strong Mormon background before denouncing her affiliation with the religion. She was also an alumna of Beaver Country Day School and Watertown Highschool in Massachusetts. 

She then became Alice Bloom in the 1992 film That Night, starring alongside Katherine Heigl who also had her film debut in the same movie. This was Duhsku’s first film following her discovery by casting agents when she was just 10 years old. She would then take on the role of Pearl in This Boy’s Life (1993) together with A-list celebrities Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Shortly after her acclaimed strong presence in both films, Dushku would play the teenage daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies (1994). The action-comedy spy film became a worldwide box office hit, further catapulting Dushku to fame. This would be followed by Fishing with George (1994), Journey (1995), and Race the Sun (1996). 

While Dushku started off in the industry as a film actress, she actually found her big adult breakthrough in television. Following her successful film stint in the late 90’s came her most popular role to date: Faith Lehane in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her badass portrayal of the dark, psychotic slayer opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar’s radiant and charming Buffy Summers gave the perfect contrast to the lead character. This performance would gain her enough recognition to steal the show, staying for the whole 3rd season instead of the slated 5-episode appearance. She would even reprise her role two more times in season four before coming back in the spin-off series, Angel (2000-2003). 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer seemed to be only the tip of Dushku’s success as it would be followed shortly by yet another hit teenage flick, Bring It On (2000). Opposite Kirsten Dunst’s Torrance Shipman, Dushku played Missy Pantone, a rebellious newcomer in the Rancho Carne Toros cheerleading team. Soul Survivors (2000), The New Guy (2001), City by the Sea (2001), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) would shortly join Dushku’s filmography in the following year. 

In 2018, Dushku married businessman Peter Palandjian which gave the couple a son just a year after. The bunch only grows bigger by the year as just this February, the Buffy star announced her second pregnancy via Instagram. 

Sexual assault and other hidden struggles

It seems like everything is looking bright for the actress, but that’s not entirely the case. Upon the rise of the  #MeToo movement, Dushku also stepped forward as a victim of sexual assault. Joel Kramer, the then 36-year old stunt coordinator in True Lies (1994), reportedly “lured her to his hotel room, put her on a bed and approached her naked except for a ‘flimsy’ towel and rubbed his body over hers.” The stunt coordinator heavily denied the allegations, but was subsequently fired by Worldwide Production Agency. 

Dushku heartbreakingly encountered sexual misconduct again, this time with her co-star Michael Weatherly in the TV series Bull. The actress believes she was “written off” of the series upon confronting the lead star regarding his “remarks on her appearance, a rape joke and a comment about a threesome”. Originally slated to be a full-time cast member, Dushku was only able to do 3 episodes as opposed to staying for 4 seasons. CBS eventually paid $9.5 million in settlement, while Weatherly was able to reprise his role for 5 seasons. 

Apart from coming forward with her #MeToo story, Dushku at the same time also opened up about her former drug and alcohol abuse. 

“Something a lot of people don’t know about me is that I am an alcoholic and I was a drug addict for a lot of years. You hear people say ‘I am that’ because I am that and I’m always going to be that, but the difference between me and an alcoholic or drug addict that still drinks and does drugs is that I am sober.” the actress bravely discussed in the 8,000-strong New Hampshire Youth Summit on Opioid Awareness. 

The Bring It On star also added that, “it was fun and I loved it, until it wasn’t”, recounting how the drugs “didn’t love her, her family, and her friends who died”. 

“I loved the first time I took a drug because I loved how it made me feel; I loved the way it made me not feel, and I didn’t have to feel.”

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She said her wake up call was when her own brother prohibited her from going anywhere near her young niece, given her dangerous demeanor at the time. Dushku also went on to say:

 “I got sober at first for my family because I had gotten to a point where I felt so sick about myself; I was depressed. I didn’t like myself but I love my family. I got sober for my family, but today I’m sober for me, and I’m sober for you. Drugs and alcohol are powerful, but we are more powerful.”

Dushku, now sober for 13 years, wrapped up her powerful revelation by later tweeting, “If I said 1 thing that may have helped 1 person today – I’m grateful. #addiction #recovery.”

Have the same story to share, but haven’t found the courage to come forward yet? Read more of our inspiring celebrity recovery stories and you just might find the push you need, too. Or if you are ready – Reach out and talk to a professional today

Dax Shepard Courageously Admits Relapsing after Going Clean for 16 Years; Here’s What We Should Learn

Since the early 2000’s, the media seems to have no shortage of Dax Shepard’s graceful presence. From TV series, to reality shows, to full-length films, to screenplays, and recently to podcasts, Shepard has graced all the platforms with his excellent performance making him a popular comedic actor to this day. But we’re not here to talk about popularity — rather we’re here to know the actor more than what meets the eye. This is the story of Dax Shepard, his past encounter with drugs, his recent relapse, and everything in between that reveals the harsh truths about substance abuse. 

On Family, Wheels, and Improv: Shepard’s Early Life

Shepard’s life before the limelight was spent mostly in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, although should you ask the man himself he would say he grew up in Milford. His unique, catchy name was inspired by a character in Harold Robbins’ The Adventurers, Diogenes Alejandro Xenos. D.A.X 

His childhood, interestingly, had been closely associated with automotives. Born to parents David Robert Shepard Sr, a car salesman, and Laura LaBo, an employee of General Motors (GM), it is not surprising how Shepard grew up with a liking for automotives. As early as ages 14 to 18, Shepard has been exposed to the industry, seeing his mom rise in the ranks from a being humble janitor, to working in the Milford proving grounds in the fleet management, to hosting events for the GM family members, to being a PR person at an ad agency, and finally, up to being a 4-shop owner of GM handling its publicity affairs. This was soon followed by Shepard’s eventual employment under his mother, assisting her in racetrack after racetrack. To further add to the automotive background, Shepard also had a stepfather who was an engineer for Corvette. It’s no wonder why the actor, several years later, included motorcycle racing at Buttonwillow Raceway on his list of his interests. 

At the same time, Shepard was completing his primary studies at Walled Lake Central High School later on enrolling in The Groundlings School. He finally completed his education at UCLA — after initially studying at Santa Monica College and West Los Angeles College — where he graduated with the second highest latin honors, magna cum laude with a BA in Anthropology. It was also around this time when Shepard was introduced to improv as he discovered the The Groundlings improv troupe while in Santa Barbara. This is where he was introduced to big names including Melissa McCarthy, Fortune Feimster, Tate Taylor and Nat Faxon as they all belonged to the Sunday Company of The Groundlings.

From improv, Shepard would go on to land acting roles in film and television. It was all kickstarted by his performance in Punk’d, a hidden-cam type comedy reality show produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Following its success, the Punk’d  star would continue to add items to his filmography — Without a Paddle (2004), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Employee of the Month (2006), and Idiocracy (2006). His starring roles, however, would come a few years later, headlining in Let’s Go to Prison (2006), Baby Mama (2018), Brothers’ Justice (2012) and Hit and Run (2012). 

In his supporting role in When in Rome, he would star alongside his soon-to-be wife, the Frozen star Kristen Bell. Also hailing from Detroit, Bell and Shepard started dating in 2007, having met during a party of a friend’s birthday they both attended. Adorably enough, in 2013, Bell proposed to Shepard via a tweet in light of the deeming of Defense of Marriage Act Section 3 as unconstitutional. 

Shepard gladly accepted and has been happily married for many years now, further including two daughters in the bunch. 

Relapse & Recovery: Celebrating “Sobriety Birthday”

Unlike the genre he is most known for, Shepard’s life is not all fun and games. The actor has been outspoken about his history with substance abuse, even admitting that he “loved to get f***ed up” in a 2012 interview with Playboy. 

“[I did] drinking, cocaine, opiates, marijuana, diet pills, pain pills, everything,” the Parenthood star revealed, “Mostly my love was Jack Daniel’s and cocaine.”

The substance abuse traced back as early as sophmore year in highschool which eventually led to the involvement of his mother and the mayor. At age 18 onwards, the actor would fall and fall deeper into the clutches of drugs and alcohol, even having himself banned from the Conan o’Brien show following an incident of “wreckage”. 

“I went on ‘Conan’ and I had done the pre-interview in a blackout and I woke up to the hotel security shaking me awake, and I was with a stranger and the stranger had peed the bed, or I had peed the bed, someone had peed the bed,” Shepard recalls the 2004 episode in an interview with toofab. 

The show was 20 minutes away from airing when a hotel security guard and a publicist forcefully woke him up. 

“And I show up on the show, I don’t know what he’s talking about. I can tell he’s cueing me up for stories I’ve told but I don’t know any of the stories. So, I’m just doing what I can to be funny out there and I am a mess.”

Fortunately for the actor, aside from the chaotic interview and a broken coffee table, that would be the first and only career-destructive incident he would ever encounter as he decided to be clean during September of 2005. 

In 2020, Shepard bravely admitted that after his 16-year streak of sobriety, he is once again battling with yet another tricky part of recovery — the relapse. The battle started shortly after intaking prescribed painkillers for his recent injuries, which gradually progressed into another addictive habit. Good for him, he was able to cut the build up right off the bat through “extreme humility”, coming clean to his wife, kids, and the public. He then attended AA meetings right away and has been right on track for 6 months going. 

AA is not for everyone. Some people need that one on one focus that can only come from therapy. Reach out to someone today if you are struggling

It is not everyday that we get to see a former addict and alcoholic who transparently opens up his battles with addiction, that is why Shepard continues to be a beacon of hope for everyone who shares the same struggles. Fortunately for the actor, he was blessed with the right mindset and more than enough support system to rise above it, now paying it forward through his recent ventures — the Armchair Expert podcast and Hollenbeck Youth Center, where he dedicates most of his time. 

Even after the relapse and, despite all odds, Dax is sober again. He recently celebrated his “sobriety birthday” together with his kids and wife, Kristen Bell, who left him heartfelt message:

“I’m so proud that you have never been ashamed of your story, but instead shared it widely, with the hope it might inspire someone else to become the best version of themselves.” Bell proudly said in a lengthy, emotional Instagram tribute.

“You have certainly inspired me to do so.”

Recovery is a long and difficult journey, but with enough understanding, patience, and encouragement from the right people, the journey could be more bearable. Make it a note to be a support system for someone. Or if you are struggling yourself reach out for support today

“No one knew. No one”: Jamie Lee Curtis on Her Decade-Long Silent Battle with Addiction

It’s no secret that Hollywood suffers from a persistent problem behind the scenes. A problem borne by the immense toll of fame and fortune — addiction. With all the drug scandals, arrests, overdoses, drunk driving, suicide threats, and deaths made public, the twinkle town world of glitz and glamour reveals more celebrity victims of addiction broadcast after broadcast. However, while most of these celebrities’ plight caused a media frenzy, Jamie Lee Curtis is here to tell a different story. 

A lineage of celebrities 

Jamie Lee Curtis is not the only Curtis in Hollywood town. She was born on November 22, 1958, a daughter to “50’s glamour couple”; Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh and a sister to actress Kelly Curtis. Hailing from a family of screen legends, Curtis’s life seemed to be tailored for the spotlight at such a young age. She attended the female-exclusive Westlake School in Los Angeles where she had a cheerleading stint alongside Gigi Garner, who would go on to be a film producer. Curtis also attended Beverly Hills High School and Choate Rosemary Hall before entering college at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. After a semester of taking up Law, Curtis had to drop out to pursue her acting career. Curtis would then take on minor roles for TV series including Columbo (1977), The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977) and Charlie’s Angels (1978), cementing her career as a top star. 

The original “scream queen”

Curtis’ first onscreen role amazingly happened to also be her most memorable one. Her film debut as Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978) turned out to be a huge success, resulting in high box office earnings, even making the independent film the highest grossing one during its release. After that, it did not take her long to rise to iconic status. Given its outstanding reception thanks to Curtis’ equally outstanding performance, Halloween was able to branch out to different sequels including Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), and Halloween (2018) — all top billed by Curtis’ reprisal of her starring role. 

The Halloween film franchise is considered a classic horror film to this day. 

Rightfully earning the title “scream queen”, Curtis’ would also star in non-Halloween horror films including The Fog (1980), Terror Train (1980), Prom Night (1980) and Road Games (1981). The horror film starlet image would slowly come to pass as she landed roles from other genres namely Ophelia in the comedy Trading Places (1983), Anna Winter in the romance/thriller Love Letters (1984), Sandra Banzai in the sci-fi The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Michelle Cody in coming-of-age Grandview USA (1984), Jessie in Perfect (1985), Susan Elliott in romance A Man in Love (1987), Lynn Taylor in Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) and Jennifer Reston in melodrama Dominick and Eugene (1988) to name a few. A real big film pedigree brewing up.

Her successful career has been decorated with various accolades from various award-giving bodies including nominations for various Golden Globes categories for her performances in A Fish Called Wanda (1988), sitcom Anything But Love (1989-1992) True Lies (1994), The Heidi Chronicles (1995), Freaky Friday (2003), some of which she deservingly bagged the victory. 

Aside from dominating both the small and the silver screen, Curtis also ventured in writing children’s books which, as expected of the talented actress, also went great. Some of her Harper-Collins published titles include Today I feel silly: And other moods (1998), I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem, (2002), ‘It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel’ (2004) and ‘My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story’ (2010), with the first one landing on the coveted New York Times Bestseller List for 10 weeks. These non-acting ventures also extend to her blog writing for The Huffington Post, and patenting a modified disposable diaper with built in moisture-proof pockets for wipes. 

In 1984, Curtis finally tied the knot with actor Christopher Guest, eventually adopting two children. The couple is still happily married 36 years after. 

“It Runs in the Blood”: Talent and Opioid Addiction 

With little to nothing being broadcasted about any hints of addiction, it would have seemed like Curtis had escaped the curse of the spotlight. But the truth is, no one ever knew. Curtis even called herself a “wildly controlled drug addict and alcoholic” in an interview with Variety’s Recovery Issue. 

“I never did it when I worked. I never took drugs before 5 p.m. I never, ever took painkillers at 10 in the morning. It was that sort of late afternoon and early evening — I like to refer to it as the warm-bath feeling of an opiate. It’s like the way you naturally feel when your body is cool, and you step into a warm bath, and you sink into it. That’s the feeling for me, what an opiate gave me, and I chased that feeling for a long time,” the two-time Golden Globe winner revealed. 

The waves of box office success, radiant family life, and recognition of her artistic brilliance seemed to have hidden the secret addiction she has been nursing for 10 years – her opioid addiction to Vicodin. The said past addiction is not a struggle that started with Curtis; her father, Tony, once shared drugs with her while her brother, Nicholas, died of heroin overdose. Her past struggle with Vicodin unfortunately started when she was getting regular plastic surgery to remove her eye puffiness constantly pointed out by the cameraman which “refused to shoot her” because of it. The said fixation, mixed with heavy drinking, became Curtis’ well-kept secret for 10 years as she would “steal and connive” to get the pills to sustain her urge. 

Now coming clean in an interview with People, Curtis echoed her resolve to “break the cycle” that brought generational ruin within her family. 

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“Getting sober remains my single greatest accomplishment… bigger than my husband, bigger than both of my children and bigger than any work, success, failure. Anything.” Curtis proudly shared.” 

Jamie Lee Curtis continues to be a beacon of hope for everyone in recovery not just for her exceptional talent but also her cause to break generational curse. As of writing, the Hollywood icon has been enjoying 22 years of sobriety, with several upcoming projects on her roll. 

Just like everyone else, victims of addiction such as Jamie Lee Curtis wouldn’t have been possible without a strong support system. Be a part of one today by extending them your heartfelt assistance. Or if you are struggling yourself reach out and speak to someone today