McGregor's drink confession

Showbiz

13:30 05 July 2005

Ewan McGregor has confessed he was close to becoming an alcoholic.

The 'Star Wars' actor admitted he was a miserable drunk as his career was taking off.

He admitted in a revealing interview in America's Playboy magazine: "I think drinking and being out of control narrow your options in front of the camera.

"I was just ashamed of myself, really."

But, despite his problems, the star says none of the directors he worked with asked him to stop drinking on set.

He claimed: "None of my directors ever said, 'You know, I'd rather you didn't drink at work.' None of them. And they must have known. I was reeking of booze."

He added: "Originally I was a happy drunk. But later I was miserable because it's a depressant."

The star eventually quit drinking after his boozing started getting out of control.

Meanwhile, Ewan has revealed he doesn't want to be a Hollywood heavyweight like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt.

He said: "If you chase fame, you're just going to end up miserable and unhappy.

"I'm not interested in fame, because you'll never be famous enough. You'll never wake up and go, 'I'm famous, and I'm really happy.'

"Some people are willing to pay a huge price for it, but not me."

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