The 1981 movie Richard Dreyfuss was so high he can’t remember making: “I was loaded all the time”
Richard Dreyfuss says he cannot remember making the 1981 film *Whose Life Is It Anyway?* because he was heavily using drugs and alcohol at the time. His account highlights how addiction affected his work during a period of intense fame and left him unable to assess or take credit for the film.
Dreyfuss played a man left almost completely paralysed who argues for his right to die against a doctor, played by John Cassavetes. He said the film was “a black hole” in his memory and described the experience as something he was ashamed of. After passing out and crashing his car in 1982, he sought help, took a three-year break from films, and later returned to acting, earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for *Mr Holland’s Opus* in 1996.
In short
- Dreyfuss says addiction left him with no memory of filming the 1981 drama.
- He sought help after a 1982 car crash.
- He later returned to acting and earned another Oscar nomination.
Explained simply
Whose Life Is It Anyway? is a 1981 drama about a sculptor who is left almost completely paralysed after an accident. He asks a court to let him refuse further treatment, while his doctor argues that his life should be preserved.
Richard Dreyfuss played the sculptor, and John Cassavetes played the doctor. The film came during a period when Dreyfuss was a major star; he later spoke about how drug and alcohol use affected his memory and work.
After a car crash in 1982, Dreyfuss sought help and took three years away from films. He returned to acting and was later nominated for an Oscar for Mr Holland’s Opus.