Paris And Lindsay: There's Life After Drugs

Unless you live under a rock, you are probably familiar with the substance abuse problems that stars like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan battle on a daily basis. We’ve always known these two were ravenous for attention, but this is ridiculous! These celebutantes make headlines so often that the tabloids can barely keep up, and that’s saying a lot. Most drug-addicted stars have the good sense to lie low for at least a couple of months before hitting the pipe/needle/bottle/bong/prescription vial again. If Hilton and Lohan don’t calm down, they’re quickly going to become passé, which would be tragic, because the only thing they seem to love more than livin’ it up in the party scene is letting the whole world know about it.

But I’m going to do something radical here. I’m going to defend them. Hilton and Lohan (for simplicity’s sake, let’s just call them Hilhan) are not the first stars to struggle with substance abuse, nor will they be the last. The “being a superstar” industry (didn’t you know that one?) either attracts people who are already susceptible to addiction or makes addicts out of normal people. I, for one, wouldn’t be surprised to find out that either theory is true, but the source of our beloved stars’ struggle is not the issue here. The light at the end of the tunnel is. And I am totally confident that these young stars will eventually see it. I would like to take a few moments to talk about the road to recovery that a few of Hilhan’s famous predecessors have paved for them. Perhaps these celebs who suffered through very public declines in youth before pulling themselves up and taking the industry by storm again can serve as inspirations for Hilhan when they finally realize that they’re still young enough to learn from their mistakes.

Mickey Rourke: In addition to once being hot and now being … well, the monstrous-looking guy in Sin City, Rourke has dueled it out with the best of them in terms of addiction. But he came out the other side with the kind of respect he had never garnered before, even for the critically-acclaimed Barfly in his early career. Maybe life imitates art, because Rourke battled alcohol and drug addiction before leaving acting altogether. He gained a reputation in Hollywood for being difficult to work with, and once let a major film role slip through his fingers because he allegedly attacked a drug dealer who was trying to supply his wife with heroin, giving him a concussion. His agent warned him he might “never work again” after the incident. Work again he did, however. After a short and ultimately unsuccessful boxing career (which necessitated all that plastic surgery for which he receives such vitriol), Rourke shook off his substance abuse and sought psychiatric help, which he credits for much of his recovery. He returned to the silver screen to earn an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in The Wrestler. And with three movies in various levels of production, his career doesn’t show signs of slowing down.

Matthew Perry: It’s possible that funny guys have it the hardest. Beneath that sarcastic, witty veneer that stole so many scenes on the iconic television show, Friends, and made us all love him for being so (wait for it) … NOT attention-seeking, was a depressed guy who turned to alcohol, speed and Vicodin for release. The actor/comedian was reportedly introduced to the painkiller after a 1997 jet skiing accident, when he was prescribed the drug. After becoming addicted, he wound up in rehab twice—once during the filming of a movie that had to be postponed during his rehab stint. He suffered pancreatitis due to his heavy alcohol intake and had to stop everything for treatment. Perry came out on the other end of all this drama to continue his comedic career in motion pictures as well as the small screen, and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for the TNT film, The Ron Clark Story. He remains open about his past struggles and later said, “I don’t think there’s anything in the world that I can’t face, having faced that.”

Drew Barrymore: This talented actress has wearied of being tagged for her troubled past, and normally I wouldn’t harp on it, but she holds a position of distinction for her high-profile recovery. Besides, I need a woman for my list and I simply can’t compare Liza Minnelli or even Carrie Fisher to Hilhan. Perhaps Barrymore is unique because her struggle with drugs began so early in her life, even before puberty. She was reportedly drinking when she was 9 and abusing cocaine at 12. She landed in rehab at the tender age of 13, when most girls are just starting to get interested in boys and learn what “x” stands for. Her family is famous not only for being theatrical and writing legends, but also for their marked susceptibility to mind-altering substances. Maybe Barrymore’s struggle was fated, so it’s only to her credit that she got it out of her system early and went on to be the lovely comedic presence that she is. Fame reportedly drove her to it, and she stated at the time, “it’s pretty hard being a kid.” She was in and out of drug rehab throughout her teens, but has since shaken addiction entirely to become the levelheaded, fresh-faced actor who always makes us smile.

Robert Downey, Jr.: No one has borne the brunt of the Famous Recovered Addicts storm more than this poor chap. The poster child for substance abuse and misspent youth, the always-talented Downey has emerged from his very public struggle with hard drugs and alcohol with a brave face. People took notice of this “brat pack” member in 1987, when he played the drug-addled rich kid Julian Wells in the adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, Less Than Zero—a role which received wide critical acclaim. Downey later said that “the role was like the ghost of Christmas Future,” because it demonstrates exactly what he would become when he started abusing cocaine and heroin. Downey has admitted to using as young as eight years old because his father, who was also an addict, would supply him with the drugs. He had several scrapes with the law during a five-year period that ended in 2001, when the actor started to get clean. During that time, he was in and out of rehab facilities, and even spent a year in prison on drug-related charges. His acting career went down the tubes, and even when directors wanted him, he couldn’t get insured, so he was ultimately passed up. Since his celebrated career comeback in 2003, Downey has been blatantly honest about his past struggle, and like his previous comment suggests, he even maintains a sense of humor about it. His roles in Good Night and Good Luck, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder have met with rampant acclaim, the last of which gained him an Academy Award nomination. He also won a Golden Globe for his 2009 portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the movie by the same name.

These stars have come out on the other side of addiction, suffered through the highly personal battle toward recovery in the public eye and ended up the better for it. The thing that sets them apart from other recovered abusers is their acknowledgement of their troubled histories and their refreshing lack of embarrassment surrounding the events. These celebs know that people are watching them and there is simply no use in denying that they’ve had problems in the past. They also know that being ashamed of themselves is a waste of time and that there is more to them than their notorious struggles. They have decided to move on with their lives and accept that there is life after addiction. They also may have a little more talent on their side than the famous-for-being-famous Hilhan, but who’s keeping score? Let’s get off the duo’s back and let them work through their troubled youth before they get too old and haggard to still have potential. Sorry, Hilhan, but it’s inevitable if you don’t straighten up and fly right.