John Goodman opens up about past struggles and personal triumphs
The star, who will turn 72 years old this year, opened up in his latest interview about his professional dilemmas. He did not hesitate to also talk about how they affected his mental health.
14 June 2024 18:09
John Goodman is an actor whom viewers got to know and like thanks to the popular sitcom "Roseanne," where he played the role of the father in a "typical" American family. The series aired from 1988–1997 and immediately became a hit. Viewers worldwide appreciated the ordinariness of its characters, the lack of glitz, and the honest approach to family life. John Goodman and Roseanne Barr played a married couple with extra pounds, children, typical middle-class woes, and a great sense of humour. The actor won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in "Roseanne" and was nominated for an Emmy award seven times.
Another well-known role of Goodman was that of Walter Sobchak in the cult classic "The Big Lebowski" by the Coen brothers; viewers also surely know his role as Fred Flintstone in the live-action version of the animated Adventures of the Cavemen. His physical condition never stood in the way of landing other roles. However, being overweight and eventually obese became a problem that had to be addressed. Goodman also didn't hide that he is an alcoholic.
John Goodman in the latest interview
The actor was recently a guest on the podcast "SmartLess," where he talked about his professional choices and how much they differ from those 50 years ago when he was just starting his career.
"The last few years have been quite strange in that regard because I was trying to be too good, you know, planning, working too hard, and it just doesn't work that way. I got out of it last year. I practically had a nervous breakdown. Everything was wrong. I once let everything out during therapy."
So what did these experiences teach him?
"You have to listen to yourself, calm down."
John Goodman on battling obesity and alcoholism
In 2007, John Goodman, weighing almost 31 stone, decided to change his life. He decided to give up alcohol, which was the first step towards health. In interviews, he admitted that he "ate compulsively like an alcoholic" – a lack of control over his diet and addiction to alcohol led to continuous weight gain.
In one interview, he admitted he became so addicted to drinking that he drank alcohol straight from the bottle and had to reach for it while working on set because otherwise, he couldn't get through the show. "I'm lucky that I was never fired for that," he said. Today, he has been sober for several years.
