Patrick Bergin has opened up on being off alcohol for six years – and admitted AA meetings are tough when you’re a Hollywood actor.
The 69-year-old Sleeping With The Enemy star told the Irish Sunday Mirror he even finds booze “boring”.
Patrick said: “I’m like a lot of Irish people, we consume far too much alcohol – it got on top of me and it got to a point where it was ruining my health so I thought I better stop.
“My wonderful partner Helen Goldin has helped me every step of the way.
“We met four years ago and it was love at first sight – we’ve travelled a lot together too, to America.
“I think we’ll get married at one point, we’re committed to each other.
“It took a long time, I went to rehab, then I started going to AA meetings – some of them are being curtailed now because of the virus.
“I still get calls from people who are in trouble with the problem, and there are people I can call now in the AA if I ever have any problems again.
“It’s a wonderful organisation and AA more than anything else was a great help.”
Despite being Hollywood royalty, starring in Patriot Games and Robin Hood, Patrick was just like anyone else using the addiction service.
He explained: “There is only a normal AA, you just go into the same room as everyone else.
“I’d be a liar if I told you it didn’t bother me a little bit, it wasn’t quite as anonymous for me as it might be for some people.
“That’s one of the things you have to come to terms with in order to develop as a person anyway.”
When asked if he has ever been tempted to fall off the wagon, Patrick replied: “Never say never, you just take a day at a time, but I doubt it. I’m six years without a drink now.”
The actor is back on our screens tonight in The South Westerlies and told how he is loving being part of the six-part Irish series, playing Michael.
He said: “The series is based on a Norwegian company coming over to set up a wind farm off the coast of Ireland.
“It touches on the various issues that arise from it in terms of the environment and the village.
“It’s not dissimilar to questions people are asking in the crisis we are in – everything people hold dear is questioned and at the same time it’s very romantic.”
Since quitting booze, talented musician Patrick admitted he takes greater pleasure in other activities. He added: “I do certainly love my music even more and I’ve had a couple of very fortunate moments – singing for the Pope was absolutely extraordinary.
“Whenever people praise my songs on Spotify or YouTube, I get a great kick out of that.
“Alcohol is a bore, it doesn’t even come into the equation these days. If people enjoy it, let them, but it certainly doesn’t feature in my life any more.”
When asked if he would reprise his role as villain Aidan in EastEnders, he replied: “To be in a series for the rest of one’s life, certainly I couldn’t commit myself in that way.
“It was great doing the South Westerlies as it was a short series, Red Rock was super too as we shot it in Drimnagh in the old Players Factory, near Rialto – it was a territory I knew well.”
Dubliner Patrick’s dad, Paddy, was in the Labour Party and a senator at one point too.
The actor told how his family lived underneath the Labour Party offices in Earlsfort Terrace at one point before they moved to Drimnagh.
Patrick added: “Paddy for the Park has a nice ring to it.”
As for Julia Roberts famously hanging out in Ireland to escape media attention back in the day, her Sleeping With The Enemy co-star has fond memories of liaising with her driver on her whereabouts.
He said: “I wasn’t around during that period, although I met her driver Peter briefly and we sent the odd message of friendship to each other but I wasn’t physically around.
“Everybody loves Ireland as you know and people feel free here as I’m sure Julia did.”
Looking back at his successful Hollywood career, Patrick admitted he felt “extremely lucky”.
He added: “In terms of the range of characters too. I’ve played Dracula, Frankenstein, Jesus Christ, presidents, politicians.
“One of the reasons I got so many roles at that particular time was because it was the advent of cable television.
“HBO and Showtime were making 50 films a year and I starred in quite a few of them.
“I got to work with so many amazing actors, Jennifer Tilly, Uma Thurman, Julia, all sorts of people. Uma played my Maid Marian and, of course, Julia was great too, and Vanessa Redgrave.
“I’ve a film coming out soon with Vanessa called There You’ll Find Me, which should be out in January, which we shot up in Carlingford.
“I play Busker, an old fiddle player – it was great fun to do.”
As for the future, Patrick added: “Next year, I hope to do the pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick on St Patrick’s Day.
“But the old bones aren’t quite the same as they used to be.”
