Tom Holland is famously known for his portrayal of the iconic Marvel superhero Spider-Man who saves the world from evil villains. In real life, however, he had also gone through personal hardships, and was able to save himself from alcoholism like the superhero that he is.
The 27-year-old English actor made an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast where he opened up about feeling “enslaved” by alcohol at a point in his life.
“I’m happy to say it — I was definitely addicted to alcohol. I’m not shying away from that at all,” he admitted.
Holland continued,
“It’s interesting. I didn’t one day wake up and say, ‘I’m giving up drinking.’ I, just like many Brits, had a very, very boozy December … I’ve always been able to drink a lot.”
At the beginning of 2022, he decided to do “Dry January,” which challenges someone to give up on alcohol for the holidays.
“All I could think about was having a drink … I was waking up thinking about it. I was checking the clock, when’s it 12 p.m.? It just really scared me,” he shared about his realization after doing “Dry January.”
Thereafter, the ‘Uncharted’ actor challenged himself further by staying sober until his birthday in June.
“By the time I got to June 1, I was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I could sleep better. I could handle problems better, things that would go wrong on set, that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride. I had so much better mental clarity. I felt healthier, I felt fitter,” he further stated.
Holland also questioned,
“Why am I so enslaved by this drink? Why am I so obsessed by the idea of having this drink?”
And he has come a long way ever since, as he has been sober for a year and a half. The actor also clarified that he’s not one to advise other people how to live their lives, but rather, he hopes to be an encouragement to someone.
Holland expressed that if he “could encourage someone to drink less, that would be great.”
Source: deadline.com
