James McAvoy has revealed that he quit drinking after the Covid-19 lockdown changed his relationship with alcohol, telling Chelsea Handler that he began drinking alone rather than only in social situations.
The 47-year-old Split and X-Men star discussed his decision to stop during an episode of Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast.
McAvoy said he had previously never kept alcohol at home, although he could “drink like a fish sometimes” on a night out. He would buy beer and wine when friends visited, but did not keep ingredients for mixed drinks in the house.
“Before that time in my life, I would never think to have alcohol in the house. I’d never buy it,” he said.
James McAvoy says lockdown changed his drinking habits
The actor said drinking had been a social activity before the pandemic, but lockdown led him to drink on his own. While he said the situation did not become “crazy, crazy bad”, he decided he needed to address it.
McAvoy told Handler that he stopped drinking “cold turkey”. He said it was not initially a struggle, although there were later periods when he found it more difficult, particularly during times of emotional stress.
“That’s when I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I could do with a f****** three fingers of vodka,’” he said.
McAvoy said sobriety had made him recognise what alcohol had been taking away, including his ability to enjoy quieter, less exciting moments.
He explained that he had been chasing adrenaline and repeatedly stimulating himself with alcohol, making it harder to connect with enjoyable experiences that were not similarly intense.
