Alec Baldwin departed from certain vices long ago.
The 66-year-old gave rare insight into his sobriety journey—sharing how it began almost four decades ago.
"I don't discuss this a lot," he said during an appearance on the May 1 episode of the Our Way with Paul Anka and Skip Bronson podcast. "I discuss it every now and then when it makes sense. I'm 39 years sober. I got sober Feb. 23, 1985."
Speaking about his life after moving from New York City to Los Angeles in 1983, Alec continued, "I had a white-hot problem every day for two years. I think I snorted a line of cocaine from here to Saturn. We took it back home. I mean, cocaine was like coffee back then. Everybody was doing it all day long."
While the 30 Rock alum didn't share what led to his decision to step away from the drug, he noted he was soon greeted by another dependency.
"Because I stopped doing drugs, my drinking increased," he explained. "Which they tell you that's going to happen. And that did happen. I just started drinking."
Ultimately, Alec was able to quit drinking alcohol as well, though he added, "The thing I miss is drinking. I don't miss drugs at all. But I do miss drinking."
So what does the Hunt for Red October star—who shares young seven kids with wife Hilaria Baldwin in addition to daughter Ireland Baldwin, 28, with ex Kim Basinger—do to relax and blow off steam? He relies on the city around him.
"New York relaxes me," he shared of his home. "I walk around and I see aspects of it that I've never seen before. I'll look at a building and I'll go, 'My God, I never noticed that about that building, those doors.' I have lunches and coffee and my friends."
That, and the occasional inward reflection.
"I do try to meditate," Alec added, before quipping, "Meditating with seven children is like trying to play ping pong on the deck of an aircraft carrier. It's a real pain in the ass."
For more stars who have spoken to their sobriety journeys, keep reading.