Wes Bentley once appeared to be a promising young actor who had the potential to have a very successful movie career. He was probably one of the most memorable characters in what is now considered a classic movie, “American Beauty.” His soulful and melancholy performance in “American Beauty” seemed to be the start of many roles to come. And while he has continued his career, he recently admitted to an addiction to heroin. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas Wes Bentley came from a religious family and dropped out of college to pursue his career in acting. However, he did get the chance to study at the prestigious Julliard School of Drama. Eventually, he achieved some recognition in Hollywood, only to let it all slip away.
Handsome and intense-looking, Wes Bentley nabbed a role in “American Beauty,” but the success of the movie seemed to have the opposite effect than one would expect. Bentley says that he actually starting abusing heroin shortly after “American Beauty” was released. The extent of Bentley’s drug abuse has been previously unknown, except for those closest to him.
Heroin Broke Up His Marriage and Derailed His Once Promising Acting Career
One of the signs of heroin addiction is ceasing to care about things that were once important. Wes Bentley’s life seems like a classic example. Drugs estranged Bentley from his first wife. He separated from her, and got his own apartment so that he could pursue his first love, drugs, in peace. Even his undying passion for acting dimmed in the shadow of his need for heroin. More important than family or acting success, Bentley says that he worked just enough to sustain his drug habit.
Fortunately for him, Bentley was arrested in 2008 and that temporarily halted his drug abuse. He attended rehab, but unsurprisingly relapsed after attending. If an addict isn’t committed to rehab, he has a high chance of relapsing. It was only in 2009 that Bentley realized that he was going to die if he didn’t get help. Drugs had already destroyed his marriage and stalled his career. If he didn’t get help, it would also take his life.
The Road To Recovery
Wes Bentley finally realized what dire straits he was in the year 2009. He realized that he was a drug addict and an alcoholic and if he didn’t get help he was going to die. Perhaps because he wanted to achieve sobriety, instead of being forced, this time he has since been able to maintain sobriety. He attended rehab and claims that although he has since been clean, he is still a work in progress. This is a very healthy attitude to take towards recovery, because it means he will also stay wary of any new temptations or triggers that may come his way. Since then, Wes Bentley has come a long way towards rebuilding his career. He has happily remarried to his second wife, and has since landed roles in some high-profile movies.
Wes Bentley has turned out to be a success story. He also shows that even if someone originally relapses, with perseverance they can go on to rebuild their lives and achieve success. It also shows for people who love someone who’s an addict that there is always hope for recovery. Wes Bentley had succumbed completely to addiction and had given up years and years of his life to it. But once he hit rock bottom, he was finally able to recognize the toll it had taken on his life, career, and those who loved him. He has bravely come forward with his story, and hopefully it will one day be an inspiration for others to clean up their lives.
