Jason Isaacs is celebrating 28 years of sobriety, as the Harry Potter star opens up about a time in his life when he thought he was “going to die.” The 63-year-old marked the milestone on Tuesday, October 6, sharing a video in which he recalled the night in 1998 that he decided to give up drugs and alcohol.
“That was the first time it happened to me for decades, drugs or drink, and I've lived a life that's drug and drink-free since,” the actor, who played Lucius Malfoy in the hit movie series, explained.
A Message of Hope
Isaacs said he was not telling his story as a way to “celebrate myself,” but instead hoped his own journey could help somebody “who thinks they're trapped, who thinks there is no way to change their life.”
“I was without any hope. No question I was going to die of and with drugs on me and in me. I just wanted it to hurry up and happen. Couldn't quite make it happen myself fast enough, and I was living a life without hope, and now I have a life with hope.”
He said that while life now is not always straightforward and easy, he is grateful for his sobriety and the joy of getting to experience life every day.
Surrender and Asking for Help
“I had to surrender and ask for help. So if you're in a dire situation, if you think that there's no escape, I'm here to tell you that there is.”
He said there are many different ways of getting help, though he personally chose to join a 12-step group.
“There's many ways to do it, but you can change your life. You can live a life without drugs and drink and engage with life on life's terms, which can be magnificent. So good luck, and I give you all my love,” he concluded.
An Open Journey
The White Lotus star has been open about his sobriety journey throughout much of his career. Just last year, he celebrated his 27th sobriety anniversary with a video in which he opened up more about his first night without alcohol or drugs.
“To keep away from temptation and to avoid tearing up my floorboards (again), or searching every item of clothing (again) - both surprisingly fruitful over the previous days - I'd spent the entire night naked in a high street sauna with a procession of bemused cab drivers,” he told his followers on Instagram.
Isaacs, who first got drunk off whiskey at the age of 12, told The Big Issue in 2020 that he first became addicted to alcohol as a teenager. He recalled a chaotic night which began with the bartender serving him and his underage friends and ending with him smashing his head on a pavement. “The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache, stinking of puke with a huge scab and the memory of having utterly shamed myself. All I could think was… I cannot f***ing wait to do that again,” he said.
