Wes Bentley, star of the popular show Yellowstone, is opening up about his previous problems with addiction and the actor who inspired him to get sober. Wes admitted that his rise to fame in the 1998 film American Beauty overwhelmed him and he turned to drugs and alcohol.
At the worst of his addiction, he saw a story about Robert Downey Jr.’s struggles with addiction and how he got sober. Wes explained, “I was in the deepest throes of my addiction and in the worst place and at death’s door, I guess, or at risk of it and I saw him be so bold and brave and open and it saved me. So I thought if I do that too, I can maybe pass that on to somebody else.”
Wes Bentley says Robert Downey Jr. inspired him to get sober
Robert battled drug and alcohol addiction, much like Wes, for many years before getting sober for good in 2003. Wes shared more about his addiction and how it got so bad that he turned down some incredible offers for jobs. He admitted that he only worked occasionally to pay for bills and drugs between 2002 and 2009. Even after getting arrested in 2008 for heroin possession, that was not his rock bottom.
RELATED: Sarah Jessica Parker Reveals Why She Felt Like A Parent Dating Robert Downey Jr.
In 2009, he met someone that helped him with his sobriety. He said, “I met a guy who had been sober and didn’t know, that I was struggling. He just talked about what a beautiful life he had now, and how he’s looking out the window at the trees, and I missed that. And I thought I want that back.”
These days, Wes stars as Jamie Dutton in Yellowstone and is doing well.
RELATED: ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Series ‘1883’ In The Works Featuring Tim McGraw And Sam Elliott