John Goodman opens up about career struggles and sobriety journey

John Goodman is an actor American viewers got to know and like thanks to the popular sitcom "Roseanne," where he played the role of the father of a "typical" American family. The series aired from 1988 to 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 humor. 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 Walter Sobchak in the cult classic "The Big Lebowski" by the Coen brothers. Viewers also 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.

The actor was recently a guest on the podcast Smartless, where he discussed his professional choices and how much they differ from those 50 years ago when he was starting his career.

"The last couple of years have been goofy for me because I’ve been trying to be good — and it doesn’t work that way. It was bad with everything. It just purged out of me when I went to the therapist one day. And then for the rest of the day it was horrible. Nothing worked."

So what did these experiences teach him?

"You’ve got to be relaxed when you do stuff. And open and listen."

In 2007, John Goodman, weighing almost 440 pounds, 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 I never got fired," he said. Today, he has been sober for several years.