Recently, country legend Kris Kristofferson passes away at 88 years old. He remains one of the most impactful and influential people to ever grace country music. From his solo work to his time side by side with The Highwaymen, there's no shortage of great records to parse through in his career.
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However, Kristofferson also holds an abundance of great roles in his film career. Movies like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Blade still captures hearts today. However, it's his role in A Star is Born that defines his filmography. Moreover, it's also what helps him get sober.
Kris Kristofferson Turns His Life Around After Filming A Star is Born in 1976
Back in 1998, Kris sits down for an interview with PEOPLE magazine. There, he gets candid about how much he was drinking during his filming for A Star is Born. At the time, he believes that's just what an artist does, that it's the nature of creativity. "I thought all serious artists were self-destructive. That anybody worth their salt was going to be out there living on the edge," Kristofferson explains. "For a couple of years, it was Jack Daniels, then it was tequila, then it was anything. When I was performing, I couldn't imagine getting up and doing it without drinking."
However, while working on the film, Kris slowly realizes how many parallels he shares with his character. It rocks him to his core and he vows to stop drinking at that moment. He expresses, "I remember feeling that that could very easily be my wife and kids crying over me. I quit drinking over that... I didn't want to die before my daughter grew up."
For a long time, Kris would imagine how differently things could've went for him had he not stopped. Until his tragic death, he was always grateful that things never went left. Kristofferson says, "I never could have imagined this. I sit right here and think how it could have turned out so differently. I never thought I'd live past 30."
