Daniel Radcliffe experienced a significant “wake-up call” during his drinking days, prompting him to embrace sobriety fully. The actor joins a growing list of celebrities who have chosen to give up alcohol. Radcliffe, who spent much of his childhood in the public eye as the star of the Harry Potter films, faced numerous challenges that came with life in the spotlight.

The actor realized he had a drinking problem at the age of 18. He previously revealed to Heat Magazine per Lad Bible that he could pinpoint specific parts of the Harry Potter series where he appeared “just gone” and “dead behind the eyes.”

“In my case, the quickest way to forget about the fact that you’re being watched is to get very drunk,” he revealed to Off Camera in 2019.

“And then as you get very drunk, you become aware that ‘Oh, people are watching more now because now I’m getting very drunk, so I should probably drink more to ignore that more.'”

The actor added that he seeked out alcohol to ‘enjoy anything.’ In 2010, Radcliffe dabbled in sobriety. However, he had a relapse in 2012, when he had a heated altercation with a DJ at a New York bar, ultimately resulting in him being asked to leave—a moment that sparked a media frenzy and served as a pivotal wake-up call.

Since then, Radcliffe has recommitted to sobriety and has remained alcohol-free.

The ‘Harry Potter’ Star is now 35 and when the urge to drink arises he has strategies to overcome these urges. Daniel Radcliffe now opts for long walks and sticks to a consistent gym routine to stay on track.

Sobriety has also allowed him to rediscover old passions and explore new interests.“I was a voracious reader as a teenager, but drinking strangely took that away from me. I lost the desire and energy to read. I’ve regained that now,” he said.