• Josh Brolin says he likes getting older because it helps him “soften up.”

• The actor spoke to The Times about his tumultuous childhood and past alcohol addiction.

• According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol abuse cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010.

After struggling with addiction for years, Josh Brolin says he doesn’t think growing older is a bad thing.

In an interview with The Times published Saturday, Brolin talked about how his outlook on life has changed as he’s gotten older.

“I love getting older. It’s a great excuse to finally say, ‘Okay, just calm down, you don’t have to spin all the time,'” Brolin told The Times.

The “Marvel” actor said he had a tumultuous childhood and began dabbling in substance abuse at an early age, trying marijuana when he was nine and using LSD when he was 13.

Brolin struggled with alcohol addiction as he grew older.

He finally got sober in 2013 after seeing his 99-year-old grandmother on her deathbed, the actor said. He visited his dying grandmother after waking up on the street with a hangover, and it made him realize he had many years to live.

“I knew that would be the last time I drank,” Brolin said. It’s been more than a decade since the actor quit drinking, and he says he thinks life is better now.

“I like being sober. I have more fun,” he said. “There’s nothing I experience that I’m absolutely certain wouldn’t be worse if I drank.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol abuse cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010. Three quarters of the total costs are related to alcohol abuse.

Based on data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 28.9 million people aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder – commonly called alcoholism – in the past year.

In 2020, researchers at the University of Southern California found that every gram of alcohol consumed per day aged the brain by about seven days.

Excessive drinking can also contribute to weight gain, cause liver damage and even weaken the immune system.

According to the CDC, moderate drinking consists of two drinks per day or less for men, and one drink per day or less for women.

Gen Z seems to be taking note. The younger generation says they drink less than their predecessors: A 2021 Gallup poll of 1,000 people found that only 60% of people aged 18 to 34 said they drink alcohol, compared to 70% of people aged 35 to 54 years.

A representative for Brolin did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside of regular hours.

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