Anyone can be alcoholic. It’s not just the skid row wino. There are many very famous alcoholics.

This list isn’t limited to famous alcoholics. It also includes the infamous, rich, powerful, and influential.

(By the way, be sure to visit Alcoholic Athletes and also Famous People Arrested for Drunk Driving.)

It’s important to recognize the signs if we or a loved one has an alcohol problem. That’s because we can help ourselves or those we care about.

Some of the alcoholics listed died as a result of alcoholism. Others quit drinking entirely. And many reduced their consumption to moderate levels.

Enjoy this list of famous alcoholics.

Famous Alcoholics

A

Tony Adams. Centre-back football (soccer) player. Captain of both Arsenal and England teams. Now a football manager.

Ben Affleck. Actor and filmmaker. Films “Batman v Superman,” “Suicide Squad,” and Justice League.” (Real name Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt.)

Buzz Aldrin. Astronaught.

André the Giant. French wrestler and actor. (AKA Jean Ferre.) World Tag Team Champion. (Real name André René Roussimoff.)

Ann-Margret. Actor, dancer, and singer. Films “Grumpy Old Men,” “Magic,” and “Tommy.” Golden Globe Award.  (Complete name Ann-Margret Olsson.)

Tom Arnold. Actor and comedian. Film “True Lies.” TV sitcom “Roseanne.” Host TV talk show “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.”

B

Tai Babilonia. Pair ice skater with Randy Gardner. ISU World Figure Skating Champion. Five U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Kevin Bacon. Actor. “Footloose” and soap opera “Guiding Light.”

Jerry D. Bailey. Jockey. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.  Horse racing analyst.

Oksana Baiul. Figure skater. ISU World Figure Skating Champion. Olympic champion in ladies’ singles.

Alec Baldwin. Actor.  TV series “The Doctors” and ”Knots Landing.”

Drew Barrymore. Actor. “E.T.”

John Barrymore. Actor.

Glenn Beck. Radio talk show host.

Boris Becker. German tennis player. Olympic gold medalist in doubles.

Brendan Behan. Irish writer. “Brendan Behan’s Island” and “The Scarperer.” Also “Confessions of an Irish Rebel.”

Bix Beiderbecke. Jazz pianist and composer. (Real name Leon Bismark Beiderbecke.)

George Best

Football (soccer) winger George Best. Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team.

Elizabeth Bishop. Poet. Books of poetry “North and South,” “A Cold Spring.” Also “Geography III.”

Mary J. Blige. Actor, singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer.

Vida Blue. Baseball pitcher. Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals. Cy Young Award. Also Most Valuable Player Award.

Dr. Bob. Co-founder (with Bill Wilson) of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He is one of the most famous alcoholics.

Humphrey Bogart. Actor. “Casablanca,” “The Maltese Falcon,” and “The Big Sleep.”

Wade Boggs. Third baseman baseball player. Baseball Hall of Fame.

Danny Bonaduce. Comedian, radio and TV host. Was a child actor. He is one of the most famous alcoholics.

John Bonham. British drummer (Led Zeppelin) and songwriter.

David Boon. Batsman cricket player.

David Bowie

British singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie. “Space Oddity.” (Real name David R. Jones.)

Jane Bowles. Writer and playwright. Novels “Two Serious Ladies and l” and “The Sheltering Sky.” Play “In the Summer House.” (Real name Jane Sydney Auer.)

Russell Brand. British actor, comedian, and writer. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

Julia Bruns. Model and silent film actor.

Rob Buck. Guitarist and composer. Founding member of group 10,000 Maniacs.

Charles Bukowski. Poet, novelist, and short story writer. “Post Office” (novel). “On Love” (poems). “Screams from the Balcony” (non-fiction).

Richard Burton. Welsh actor. “The Robe” and “Cleopatra.” (Real name Richard Walter Jenkins, Jr.)

Brett Butler. Actor, comedian, and writer. “Grace Under Fire.”

Gerard Butler. Scottish actor, singer, and producer. “Phantom of the Opera.”

David Byron. British singer and songwriter. Lead vocalist for rock band Uriah Heep. (Real name David Garrick.)

C

Miguel Cabrera (“Miggy”). First baseman. Detroit Tigers. (Real name José Miguel Cabrera Torres.)

Sid Caesar. Comedic actor and writer. TV series “Your Show of Shows” and “Caesar’s Hour.”

Ken Caminiti. Third baseman. Fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball.

Naomi Campbell. British model, actor, and singer. “Zoolander” and “Ali G Indiahouse.”

Truman Capote. Novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In Cold Blood.” (Real name Truman Streckfus Persons.)

Torsten Carleman. Swedish mathematician.

Belinda Carlisle. Singer and songwriter. Lead singer of The Go-Go’s.

Jim Carrey. Actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. “Dumb and Dummer To” and ”Kick-Ass 2.”

Raymond Carver. Short-story writer and poet. “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” and “Where I’m Calling From.”

Cris Carter. Wide receiver in the National Football League. (Real name Graduel Christopher Darin Carter).

Johnny Cash. Country guitarist, singer and songwriter. Songs “I Walk The Line,” “So Doggone Lonesome” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

John Cassavetes. Actor, film director, and screenwriter. “Love Streams,” “The Dirty Dozen,” and “Husbands.”

Leonard Chadwick. Military hero during the Spanish-American War.

Raymond Chandler. Novelist and crime fiction writer. “The Big Sleep” and “Farewell My Lovely.”

John Cheever. Novelist and short story writer. “The Brigadier and the Golf Widow” and “The Stories of John Cheever.”

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill. British Prime Minister and statesman. He’s one of the most famous alcoholics.

Eric Clapton. Guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Member of The Yardbirds and Cream bands.

Maurice Clarett. Running back football player. Omaha Nighthawks. Also the Denver Broncos.

Steve Clark. Lead guitarist for British band Def Leppard. In addition, its principal songwriter.

Michael Clarke. Drummer for the Byrds. (Real name Michael Dick).

Montgomery Clift. Actor. “From Here to Eternity” and “Judgment at Nuremberg.”

Brian Connolly. Scottish actor and musician. Lead singer of British rock band The Sweet.

Tom Conway. British actor. “The Falcon” series.

Peter Cook. Actor, comedian and writer. “Beyond the Fringe” and “Derek & Clive.”

Alice Cooper. Singer, songwriter, and actor. “Freddy’s Dead” and “Something Wilder.” (Real name Vincent Damon Furnier.)

Bradley Cooper. Actor and comedian. Films “Aloha,” “Burnt,” and “Joy.”

Chris Cornell. Musician, singer, and songwriter. Lead vocalist for rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave.

Jamie Lee Curtis. Actor. TV series “Anything But Love” and movie “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.”

D

Jeffrey Dahmer. Serial murderer.

John Daly. Golfer.  Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour.

Bette Davis. Actor. Films “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Also “Strangers.” (Real name Ruth Elizabeth Davis).

Kristin Davis. Actor.  Soap operas “Melrose Place” and “Sex and the City.”

Sandra Dee. Actor and singer. “Grease” and “Durham Horror.” (Real name Alexandria Zuck.)

Lana Del Rey. Singer and songwriter. “High by the Beach” and “Lust for Life.” (Real name Elizabeth Grant.)

Johnny Depp. Actor, musician, and producer. TV series “21 Jump Street” and film “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Janice Dickinson. Model, author and talent agent. Judge on TV series “America’s Next Top Model.”  Also TV series “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.”

Robert Downey Jr. Actor and singer. “The Avengers” and “Iron Man” films.

Richard Dreyfuss. Actor. “Jaws” and “Close Encounters.” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

Fergie (Fergie Duhamel). Singer, songwriter, and actor. Vocalist for hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas.

Ryan Dunn. Stunt performer, actor, TV personality, and comedian. Reality stunt show “Jackass.”

Kirsten Dunst. Actor. “On the Road,” “Bachelorette,” and “The Two Faces of January.”

Marguerite Duras. Writer and film director. Novel “L’Amant.” For directing film “Song” won France’s Cinema Academy Grand Prix.

Geeta Dutt. Indian singer and actor. Many Hindi films.

E

Brian Early. Executive. Managing partner, Northwestern Mutual Network.

Roger Ebert. Writer and film critic. TV series “Siskel and Ebert” and “At the Movies.”

Zac Efron. Actor. Films “Dirty Grandpa,” “Neghbors 2,” and “The Greatest Showman.”

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Monarch of the UK.  (Mother of Queen Elizabeth II.) Surprised she’s one of the famous alcoholics?

Michael Elphick. British actor. TV series “Boon” and “EastEnders.”

Eminem. Rapper, songwriter, actor, and record producer. (Real name Marshall Mathers, III.)

F

Edie Falco. Actor. TV series “Oz” and “The Sopranos.”

Colin Farrell. Irish actor. “Fantastic Beasts,” “The Beguiled,” and “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

William Faulkner. Novelist. “The Sound and the Fury,” “As I Lay Dying,” and “Absalom, Absalom!”

Brett Favre. Quarterback, Green Bay Packers.

Corey Feldman. Actor. TV series “The Two Coreys.” Also films “Lost Boys” and “Operation Belvis Bash.”

Craig Ferguson. Actor, TV host, and comedian. TV series “Celebrity Name Game” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

W.C. Fields. Actor and comedian. (Real name William Claude Dukenfield.)

Carrie Fisher. Actor and writer for the Star Wars series of films.

F. Scott Fitzgerald. Novelist, scriptwriter, and short story writer. “This Side of Paradise” and “The Great Gatsby.

Errol Flynn. Actor and writer. “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Let’s Make Up,” and “Cruise of the Zaca.”

Betty Ford, U.S. First Lady. That is, wife of a President. She is one of the most famous alcoholics.

Michael J. Fox. Actor. TV series “Family Ties,” film ”Back to the Future.” (Real name Michael Andrew Fox.)

G

Gaga. See Lady Gaga.

Noel Gallagher. British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Oasis and High Flying Birds.

Janeane Garofalo. Actor, stand-up comedian, and writer. “The Ben Stiller Show,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.”

Garrincha. Brazilian right winger and forward football (soccer) player. (Real name Manuel Francisco dos Santos.)

Paul Gascoigne (“Gazza”). British midfielder football (soccer) player and manager.

Alexander Godunov. Russian ballet dancer and actor. Films “Witness” and “Die Hard.” (Defected to U.S.)

Bobcat Goldthwait. Actor, comedian and director. TV series “Police Academy.” Film ‘”Sleeping Dogs Lie.” Also director TV show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (Real name Robert Goldthwait.)

Dwight Gooden (“Dr. K”). Baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball.

John Goodman. Actor. TV series “Roseann” and film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

Kelsey Grammer. Actor. TV series “Cheers,” “Frazier,” and “Pentagon Wars.”

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant. Union General and President of the U.S.

Melanie Griffith. Actor. Film “The Birds.” Also TV series “Hawaii Five-O.”

H

Corey Haim. Actor. “The Hostage Game” and “Decisions.”

Josh Hamilton. Actor. “Madam Secretary,” “Gracepoint,” and “American Horror Story.”

Patrick Hamilton. British novelist and playwright. “Unknown Assailant” and “The Gorse Trilogy.”

William Rowan Hamilton. Irish mathematician, astronomer, and physicist.

Darrell Hammond. Impressionist and actor. TV series “Saturday Night Live.” Also films “The King and I” and “New York Minute.”

Jeff Hanneman. Musician and lyricist. Founding member of trash metal band Slayer.

Chris Hardwick. Producer and actor. “@midnight” and “The Wall.”

Lorenz Hart. Lyricist. “My Funny Valentine,” “Blue Moon,” and “The Lady is a Tramp.”

Doug Harvey. Baseball umpire in the National League for 30 years.

David Hasselhoff. Actor. TV series “The Young and the Restless,” “Knight Rider,” and “Shaka Zulu.”

Ira Hayes. Pima Native American military hero in WW II.

Rita Hayworth. Actor and dancer. Films “Gilda,” “Miss Sadie Thompson,” and “They Came to Cordura.” (Real name Margarita Carmen Cansino.)

Ernest Hemmingway

Ernest Hemmingway. Novelist, short story writer, and journalist. “A Farewell to Arms,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “The Old Man and the Sea.”

Jimi Hendrix. Rock electric guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Real name James Hendrix.)

Ian Hendry. British actor. TV series “Police Surgeon” and “The Avengers.”

O. Henry. Short story writer. Collections include “Sixes and Sevens,” “ Rolling Stones,” and “Waifs and Strays.” (Real name William Stanley Porter.)

Patricia Highsmith. Novelist. “Strangers on a Train,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and The Two Faces of January. (Real name Mary Patricia Plangman.)

Christopher Hitchens. British Trotskyite, writer, speaker. Caustic critic those with whom he disagreed.

William Holden. Actor. “The Wild Bunch,” “The Towering Inferno,” and “Network.” (Real name William Franklin Beedle, Jr.)

Billie Holiday. Actor, jazz singer,  composer, and writer. “Lady in Satin“ (recording), “Symphony in Black” (film), and “Lady Sings the Blues” (autobiography). (Real name Eleanora Fagan.)

Anthony Hopkins. Actor. “Instinct,” “Meet Joe Black,” and “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Dennis Hopper. Actor and director. “Waterworld,” “The Keeper,” and ” Land of the Dead.”

Curly Howard

Comedic actor Curly Howard. One of The Three Stooges. (Real name Jerome Lester Horwitz.)

Steve Howe. Relief pitcher baseball player. Twelve seasons in Major League Baseball.

James Hunt. British race driver. Won the Formula One World Championship.

I

Naftali Herz Imber. Hebrew poet. One of his poems was set to music and became Israel’s national anthem.

Allen Iverson. Shooting guard and point guard basketball player. Fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

J

Samuel L. Jackson. Actor. “Pulp Fiction,” “Chi-Raq,” and “The Hateful Eight.” (By the way, what’s in your pocket?)

Shirley Jackson. Writer and novelist. Novels “The Lottery,” “The Haunting of Hill House,” and “We Have Always Lived in the Castle.”

Jesse James. Actor. “As Good as It Gets” and “The Butterfly Effect.”

Billy Joel. Singer, songwriter and pianist. Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Real name William Joel.)

Elton John. British singer, pianist, and songwriter. His “Candle in the Wind” is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts

Don Johnson. Actor. TV series “Miami Vice.”  Films “Long Flat Balls II” and “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.”

Samuel C. Johnson. Chair of SC Johnson household products.

Kristen Johnston. Actor. TV series “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Ugly Betty,” and “The Exes.”

James Joyce. Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet. “Dubliners,” Finnegans Wake,” and “Ulysses.”

Yootha Joyce. British actor. UK TV series “Man About the House.” Spin-off “George and Mildred.” (Real name Yootha Joyce Needham.)

K

Phil Katz. Computer program developer. Co-creator Zip file format. Author of PKZIP program for creating zip files under DOS.

Joan Kennedy. Wife of Senator Ted Kennedy.

Patrick Kennedy. Politician. (Son of Joan Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy.)

Ted Kennedy. U.S. Senator.

Jack Kerouac. Writer and poet. “On the Road,” “Big Sur,” and “Vanity of Duluoz.“ (Real name Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac.)

Anthony Kiedis. Singer. Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Steven King. Novelist. “End of Watch,” “Sleeping Beauties,” “The Outsider.”

Sam Kinison. Actor, comedian, and writer. “Savage Dawn,” “Back to School,” and “Married with Children.”

Calvin Klein. Fashion designer.

Kris Kristofferson. Actor, singer, and songwriter. Wrote “”Sunday Morning Coming Down.” Acted in “Heaven’s Gate.”

L

Lady Gaga. Singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and fashion designer. Albums “The Fame Monster,” “Born this Way,” and “ARTPOP.” (Real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.)

Veronica Lake. Actor. Films “Slattery’s Hurricane,” “Stronghold,” and “Footsteps in the Snow.” (Real name Constance Ockleman.)

Jani Lane. Singer. Lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for glam metal band Warrant.

John Larroquette. Actor. TV series “Stripes,” “Night Court,” and “The Librarians.”

Peter Lawford. Actor. “A Yank at Eton” and “Goodinternationa News.”  Real name Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen.

Bernard Lee. British actor. “Ring of Treason,” “Dr. No” and ten other James Bond films.

Tommy Lee. Drummer. Founding member of heavy metal band
Mötley Crüe. Founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem. (Real name Thomas Lee Bass.)

Professor Mack Lemore. (See James Macklemore.)

“Sugar” Ray Leonard. Boxer. Won gold medal in boxing at the Olympic Games. International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Drew Lewis. Executive. Union Pacific Corp.

Demi Lovato. Actor. “Barney & Friends” and “The X Factor.” (Real name Demetria Devonne Lovato.)

Rob Lowe. Actor. TV series “The West Wing,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Code Black.”

Kevin Lloyd. British character actor. British TV series “The Bill.”

M

Davina McCall. British actor. “Doctor Who,” “Dead Set,” and “A Bear’s Tail.”

Joseph McCarthy. U.S. Senator.

Carson McCullers. Writer and playwright. Novels “Clock Without Hands,” “The Member of the Wedding,” and “Reflections in a Golden Eye.”

Malcolm McDowell. British actor. “A Clockwork Orange,”and “Star Trek: Generations.” British TV series “Our Friends in the North.” (Real name Malcolm John Taylor.)

Tim McGraw. Country music singer, songwriter and actor. McGraw has sold over 40 million albums. He’s also won three Grammy Awards.

Ewan McGregor. Scottish actor. “Trainspotting,” “Star Wars,” and “American Pastoral.”

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. Singer and musician. Founding member go the Greatful Dead.

James Macklemore. Rapper. Albums “Gemini,” and “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made.” (Formerly known as Professor Mack Lemore. Real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty.)

Clyde McPhatter. R&B singer. Founder of The Drifters.

Joe Manganiello. Actor, narrator, director, and producer. “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” “Sabotage,” and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”

Mickey Mantle. Center fielder and first baseman baseball player. The greatest switch hitter in baseball. National Baseball Hall of Fame. Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Johnny Manziel. Quarterback football player. The Heisman Trophy, Manning Award, and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

Diego Maradona. Argentine football (soccer) player and manager. Many people consider him the greatest football player in history.

Marky Mark (see Mark Wahlberg).

Billy Martin. Second baseman baseball player and manager. Elected to the American League All Star team. (Real name Alfred Manuel Pesano, Jr.)

Joseph C. Martin. Roman Catholic priest and speaker on alcoholism. “Chalk Talk on Alcohol.”

Marshall Mathers III. See Eminem.

Eva Mendes. Actor and model. “The Wendell Baker Story,” “Out of Time,” and “Hitch.”

Grace Metalious. Novelist. “Peyton Place.” (Real name Marie Grace de Repentigny.)

Liza Minelli

Singer and actor Liza Minnelli. “The Sterile Cuckoo,” “Cabaret ,” and “Arthur.”

Madan Mohan. Hindi film composer for many films. (Real name Madan Mohan Kohli.)

Demi Moore. Actor. Soap opera “General Hospital.” Films Disclosure” and “Indecent Proposal.” (Real name Demi Gene Guynes.)

Gary Moore. Northern Irish rock guitarist. Played in Irish bands “Skid Row” and “Thin Lizzy.” Also British band” Colosseum II.”

Mary Tyler Moore. Actor. TV sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Films “Flirting with Disaster” and “Stolen Babies.”

Clifton Morris. Co-founder, chair and CEO of AmeriCredit auto finance.

Jim Morrison. Musician, songwriter, and poet. Co-founder and lead singer of the Doors. Rock. The Roll Hall of Fame.

Kate Moss. British model and entreprenuar. Owns line of fashion clothing. (Real name Katherine Ann Moss.)

Eddie Murphy. Comedic actor. TV program “Saturday Night Live.” Films “Haunted Mansion” and “Shrek Forever After.”

Modest Mussorgsky. Russian composer. One of a group of composers (“The Five”). They tried to create a Russian genre of music.

N

Joe Namath. Quarterback football player in the American Football League and National Football League. Sports broadcaster.

Eliot Ness. Prohibition agent. Led The Untouchables.

Mike Ness. Musician. Formed punk rock band Social Distortion. Guitarist, vocalist, producer and songwriter for the group.

Stevie Nicks. singer. Member of Fleetwood Mac. Solo career includes eight solo studio albums. (Real name Stephanie Lynn Nicks.)

Leonard Nimoy. Actor. TV series “Star Trek.” Films, “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: Into Darkness.”

Jim Norton. Comedian, actor, radio and TV host. Co-host, “Opie and Anthony” and “Jim Norton and Sam Roberts on SiriusXM.” Host “The Jim Norton Advice Show.”

O

Gary Oldman. British actor. Films “Air Force One,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and “Darkest Hour.”

Eugene O’Neill. Playwright, “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” Nobel Prize in Literature.

Bill O’Reilly. Political commentator and writer.

Jack Osbourne. Actor and reality TV. (Son of Ozzy Osbourne). Reality series “The Osbournes” and “Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie.” Also “ Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.”

Ozzy Osbourne. singer and reality TV. Lead vocalist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Also, a solo singer. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, UK Music Hall of Fame, and Global Icon Award. (Real name John Michael Osbourne.) See Jack Osbourne.

Peter O’Toole. British actor. Films “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” and “Venus.”

Alexander Ovechkin. Russian winger and captain of the Washington Capitals. Named to the First All-Star Team. Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Lester B. Pearson Award. The latter is now the Ted Lindsay Award.

P

Al Pacino. Actor. “The Godfather,” “You Don’t Know Jack,” and “Angels in America.”

Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal. Composer. “Chori Chori,” “Suraj,” and “Deadpool.”

Bernie Parent. Ice hockey goaltender. Played 13 National Hockey League seasons. Also one in the World Hockey Association.

Dorothy Parker. Writer, poet, and critic. Formed a group of writers and wits called the Algonquin Round Table. “A Star Is Born” and “Saboteur.” (Real name Dorothy Rothschild.)

Barbara Payton. Actor and model. “Bride of the Gorilla,” ”Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” and “Dallas.” (Real name Barbara Lee Redfield.)

Matthew Perry. Actor. TV sitcoms “Friends,” “Mr. Sunshine,” and “The Odd Couple,”

Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce. U.S. President.

Brad Pitt. Actor. TV soap operas “Another World” and ”Dallas.” Film “Fury.”

Edgar Allan Poe. Writer, poet, and critic. “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Raven.”

Jackson Pollock. Abstract painter. “Number 1A, 1948,” “White Light,” and “Scent.”

Alison Porter, singer, dancer, and actor. Films “Parenthood,” “Stella,” and “Curly Sue.”

Dennis Price. British actor. Films “Pulp,” “Theater of Blood,” and “Son of Dracula.” (Real name Dennistoun John Franklyn Rose-Price.)

R

Daniel Radcliffe. Actor. Films “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Also “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

Bonnie Raitt. Blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Albums “ Nick of Time,”  “Luck of the Draw,” and “Longing in Their Hearts.”

Harold Ramis. Writer and actor. Wrote and acted in films “Stripes,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Ghostbusters II.”

Oliver Reed. Actor. Films “Oliver!,” “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” and “Gladiator.”

Trent Reznor. Singer. songwriter, and composer. Founder Nine Inch Nails. Member post-industrial group How to Destroy Angels,

Jean Rhys. Writer. Novels “After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie,” “Voyage in the Dark”, and “Good Morning, Midnight.” (Real name Ella Williams.)

Christina Ricci. Actor. Films “Mermaids,”” The Ice Storm,” and “Sleepy Hollow.”

Barret Robbins. Center football player. Nine seasons for the Oakland Raiders.

S

C.C. Sabathia (Carsten C. Sabathia, Jr.). Left-handed baseball pitcher. Cy Young Award. Pitched an average of over 200 innings per season during career.

Steve Sarkisian. Football player and coach. Offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

Bon Scott. Scottish singer and songwriter. Lead vocalist and lyricist for hard rock band AC/DC. Ranked number one in Classic Rock’s list of “100 Greatest Frontmen Of All Time.” (Real name Ronald Scott.)

Anne Sexton. Writer and poet. Pulitzer Prize for poetry book, “Live or Die.”

Ramses Shaffy. Dutch singer and actor. Films “De vier dochters Bennet,” “Willem van Oranje,” and “Laat maar zitten.”

Shailendra. Indian Hindi film lyricist. Filmfare Best Lyricist Award three times. Films “Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai” and “Sab Kuch Seekha Hamne.” Also “Main Gaoon Tum So Jao.”  (Real name Shankardas Kesarilal.)

William Shatner

Actor, author, producer, and director, William Shatner. TV series “Startrek,” “The Practice,” and “Boston Legal.”

Charlie Sheen. Actor. TV sitcoms “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Spin City.” (Real name Carlos Irwin Estévez.)

Dr. Bob Smith. Co-founder (with Bill Wilson) of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He’s truly one of the most famous alcoholics.

Jada Pinkett Smith. Actor. TV sitcom “A Different World.” Films “Menace II Society” and “The Nutty Professor.”

Dusty Springfield. British singer. Albums “Dusty in Memphis” and “A Very Fine Love.” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Real name Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien.)

Jean Stafford. Short-story writer and novelist. Novels  “Boston Adventure” and “The Mountain Lion.” “The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford” won a Pulitzer Prize.

Joseph Stalin. Dictator of the Soviet Union.

Ringo Starr. British musician, writer, actor, and director. Drummer for The Beatles. (Real name Richard Starkey.)

Cat Stevens. Singer and songwriter. Wrote “The First Cut is the Deepest,” “I Love My Dog,” and “Here Comes My Baby.” (His real name was Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Changed to Yusuf Islam after conversion to Islam.)

Darryl Strawberry. Baseball fielder and sports commentator. Voted to the All-Star Game eight years in a row.

Patrick Swayze. Actor, dancer, and singer. Films “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost,” and “Waking Up in Reno.”

T

Channing Tatum. Actor and model. TV series “Coach Carter” and “CSI: Miami.” TV commercials.

Elizabeth Taylor. Actor. Films “Cleopatra,” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” She’s one of the most famous alcoholics.

James Taylor. Singer and songwriter. Five Grammy Awards. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. National Medal of the Arts.

John Taylor. British musician, singer, and songwriter. Founding member and bass guitarist new wave band Duran Duran. Lead role in the movie “Sugar Town.”

Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor. Linebacker football player. Entire career with New York Giants. Three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Also league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Registered sex offender.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Russian composer. “1812 Overture,” “Swan Lake,” and “The Nutcracker.”

Dylan Thomas. Welsh poet and prose writer. Books “Collected Poems,” ”The Map of Love,” and “A Prospect of the Sea.”

Thurman Thomas. football player. Running back for

Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

Hunter S. Thompson. Writer and journalist.” Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, “Hell’s Angels,” and “Rum Diary.”

James Thurber. Writer and cartoonist. Books “Let Your Mind Alone!,” “The Last Flower,” and “The Middle-aged Man on the Flying Trapeze.”

John Travolta. Actor. Films “Killing Season,” “The Forger,” and “Saturday Night Fever.”

Steven Tyler. Singer and songwriter. Lead singer rock band Aerosmith. Solo album “We’re All Somebody from Somewhere.” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. (Real name Steven Victor Tallarico.)

U

Keith Urban. Singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Albums “Ripcord,” “Fuse,” and “Be Here.”

V

Dick Van Dyke.  Actor, comedian, and dancer. TV series “Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Diagnosis Murder.” Film “Mary Poppins.”

Vincent van Gogh. Painter. “The Starry Night,” “Sunflowers,” and many self-portraits.

Eddie Van Halen. Dutch guitarist, songwriter and producer. Co-founder hard rock band Van Halen. Guitar World’s readers poll ranked him number one of “The 100 greatest Guitarists” of all time.

Townes Van Zandt. Singer and songwriter. Albums “Sunshine Boy,”” Townes Van Zandt,” and” Our Mother the Mountain.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan. Guitarist, singer and songwriter. Blues Hall of Fame, Musicians Hall of Fame, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Kat Von D. Tattoo artist and TV personality. TV reality series “LA Ink” and “Miami Ink.” Books “High Voltage Tattoo” and “The Tattoo Chronicles.” (Her real name Katherine von Drachenberg.)

Vladimir Vysotsky. Russian actor, singer, songwriter, and poet. Books “Hamlet with a Guitar,” “Songs and Poems of Vladimir Vysotsky,” and “I Love, Therefore I Live.”

W

Mark Wahlberg. Actor (as young actor and model, known as Marky Mark). Films “Ted,” “The Fighter,” and “The Departed.”

Ralph Waite. Actor. TV series “The Waltons” and “NCIS”. Soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”

Tom Waits. Innovative musician. LPs “Rain Dogs,” “Big Time,”  and “The Black Rider.”

Joe Walsh. Guitarist, singer and songwriter. Member the Eagles and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Denzel Washington. Actor. Films “The Equalizer,” “2 Guns .” and “Safe House.” Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.

Charlie Watts. British drummer. Member of the Rolling Stones. Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

Orson Welles. Writer, actor, and director. Film “Citizen Kane.” Radio series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Famous for “The War of the Worlds” broadcast. Two British Film Institute polls of directors and critics voted him the greatest film director of all time.

Keith Whitley. Country music singer. Hit songs “Miami, My Amy,” “When You Say Nothing at All.” Also, “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”

Hank Williams. Country music singer and songwriter. Songs “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “Hey, Good Lookin.” One of the most famous alcoholics. He died from it. (Real name Hiriam Williams.)

Robin Williams

Actor and comedian, Robin Williams. TV series “Mork & Mindy.” Films “World’s Greatest Dad” and “Boulevard.” Oscar.

Bruce Willis. Actor. Films “The Whole Nine Yards,” “Sin City,” and “Live Free or Die Hard.”

Bill Wilson. Co-founder (with Dr. Bob) of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He is one of the most famous alcoholics.

Hank Wilson. Baseball player. A powerful hitter. Baseball Hall of Fame. (Real name Lewis Robert Wilson.)

Owen Wilson. Actor, screenwriter, and producer. Films “Shanghai Noon,” “Meet the Parents,” and “Behind Enemy Lines.”

Amy Winehouse. British singer and songwriter. The album “Back to Black” won five Grammy Awards. Songs “Rehab,” and “Valerie.”

David Woodley. Football quarterback. Played for Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Y

Boris Yeltsin. First President of the Russian Federation.

Lester Young. Jazz tenor sax. Member of Count Basie’s orchestra. (Nickname “Pres” or “Prez”.)

Don’t forget to visit Famous People Arrested for Drunk Driving.

Resources

Kreck, D. Rich People Behaving Badly. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 2016. Includes famous alcoholics.

Maloney, W. The Medical Lives of History’s Famous People. Sharjah, UAE: Bentham, 2014.

Pitkin, R. Whom the Gods Love Die Young. Illnesses that Caused the Early Death of Famous People. Pittsburgh: RoseDog, 2008. Includes many famous alcoholics.

Cech-Vinhais, V. Wills of the Rich and Famous. Boston, MA: MCLE, Inc., 2008.

Wilson, S. Resting Places. The Burial Sites of Over 10,000 Famous Persons. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013.

Notes

Disclaimer. This list of famous alcoholics is compiled from sources that appear to be accurate. That includes many original sources. However, its accuracy is not guaranteed.

Also, do you know of any names that should be added? If so, please contact hansondj (at sign) Potsdam (period) edu/. In fact, readers help improve this website. So thank you for helping!