John P. Johnson/HBO
True Blood actor Chris Bauer ended a long-running battle with booze after shooting the pilot for the hit TV show. The 47 year old has revealed he struggled with alcoholism for years before finally getting sober in 2007, when he landed the role of Sheriff Andy Bellefleur in the vampire series.
He has decided to share his story with fans as the show enters its seventh and final season in the U.S. Bauer tells People.com, “It was a slow-motion catastrophe. I wasn’t just out of control, I was 100 per cent off my path.”
“I got sober right after I shot the pilot for True Blood. Now that it’s winding down, I’m in touch with how much my life has changed from getting my act together. I think I abused it (alcohol) from the beginning. The idea of taking one drink for me was on par with aliens and Bigfoot. It was always more than one. I drank to change how I felt inside, and that’s basically a one-way ride to oblivion.”
Bauer was also prompted to seek professional help following an ultimatum from his wife, Laura, who threatened to leave and take his kids, Beau and Mercy. He adds, “She was really afraid for me. And she was in a lot of pain because of how inconsiderate I was. She said she was going to take the kids and leave, that she couldn’t stay in the situation until I changed things.”
The final season of True Blood kicked off in America on Sunday (22Jun14).
