David Dastmalchian Says He Has an 'Endless Pool of Gratitude' After 20 Years of Sobriety

David Dastmalchian at a screening of “John Wick: Chapter 4”.Photo: Cindy Ord/WireImageDavid Dastmalchianis reflecting on two decades of sobriety.TheAnt-Manstar, 47, opened up to Page Six at the New York premiere of his new filmBoston Strangler, when he spoke about where he is today — following 20 years of sobriety after a five-year heroin addiction before his acting career.“For nothing else, the endless pool of gratitude that I feel for the past two decades of this journey, living without drugs and alcohol, absolutely informs all the work that I do as an actor and think about the characters I want to bring to life,” he told the outlet.David Dastmalchian at the premiere of “Ant-Man And The Wasp”.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty for DisneyIn Dastmalchian’s new film, he stars as the presumed Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo, and he used an “incredible series of books and research that exists” to help tell the story.The actor previously opened up toThe Hollywood Reporterin 2018 about using drugs in high school in an effort to self-medicate his “undiagnosed depression issues.” A heroin addiction he picked up while attending Chicago’s DePaul University then followed, with him eventually living out of his car at his lowest point.Dastmalchian drew from his heroin addiction experience while writing the 2014 filmAnimals. His own personal journey to sobriety included spending time at a psychiatric facility, rehab and a halfway house.“Getting the mental health treatment I needed is my greatest accomplishment, and my sobriety of 19 years is a huge part of that,” he told NME in 2021. “But I’m still working at it, you know, there’s no victory flags or anything like that. It’s a daily journey, but I will say this: I could sit here with you now, and you could drink two bottles of wine in front of me and I wouldn’t feel any desire to join you. I have many friends who smoke pot, and it’s not difficult for me to be with them socially because I don’t have the desire. But if that [lack of desire] changed tomorrow, I know exactly what meeting I need to get to and who I need to contact to make sure I’m gonna be okay.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Dastmalchian caught up with PEOPLE this week todiscuss his latest film, specifically the “heavy-duty responsibility” of playing the presumed Boston Strangler. As he explained, the actor “approached the performance very cautiously, and I made the choice going in to do as much absolute research as I could do.“DeSalvo, who was never charged with the Boston Strangler murders, confessed to the crimes: the murders of 13 women, which took place between 1962 and 1964. Boston policeuncovered DNA evidence in 2013that linked DeSalvo, who died in 1973, to the crimes. And as the film depicts, much remains unclear about the case.“But it’s a heavy-duty responsibility, in my opinion, because you’re telling a story that is based on real events and there are real victims,” Dastmalchian noted. “You need to know what it is that you’re doing and why you’re doing it.“The movie also starsKeira KnightleyandCarrie Coonas real-lifeBoston Record-Americanreporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, for a “story about women who are fighting to tell women’s stories in an environment where the power structure doesn’t want those stories completely told,” as Dastmalchian explained.Boston Strangleralso stars Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola, Morgan Spector and Bill Camp, and is now streaming on Hulu.If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

David Dastmalchian at a screening of “John Wick: Chapter 4”.Photo: Cindy Ord/WireImage

David Dastmalchianis reflecting on two decades of sobriety.TheAnt-Manstar, 47, opened up to Page Six at the New York premiere of his new filmBoston Strangler, when he spoke about where he is today — following 20 years of sobriety after a five-year heroin addiction before his acting career.“For nothing else, the endless pool of gratitude that I feel for the past two decades of this journey, living without drugs and alcohol, absolutely informs all the work that I do as an actor and think about the characters I want to bring to life,” he told the outlet.David Dastmalchian at the premiere of “Ant-Man And The Wasp”.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty for DisneyIn Dastmalchian’s new film, he stars as the presumed Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo, and he used an “incredible series of books and research that exists” to help tell the story.The actor previously opened up toThe Hollywood Reporterin 2018 about using drugs in high school in an effort to self-medicate his “undiagnosed depression issues.” A heroin addiction he picked up while attending Chicago’s DePaul University then followed, with him eventually living out of his car at his lowest point.Dastmalchian drew from his heroin addiction experience while writing the 2014 filmAnimals. His own personal journey to sobriety included spending time at a psychiatric facility, rehab and a halfway house.“Getting the mental health treatment I needed is my greatest accomplishment, and my sobriety of 19 years is a huge part of that,” he told NME in 2021. “But I’m still working at it, you know, there’s no victory flags or anything like that. It’s a daily journey, but I will say this: I could sit here with you now, and you could drink two bottles of wine in front of me and I wouldn’t feel any desire to join you. I have many friends who smoke pot, and it’s not difficult for me to be with them socially because I don’t have the desire. But if that [lack of desire] changed tomorrow, I know exactly what meeting I need to get to and who I need to contact to make sure I’m gonna be okay.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Dastmalchian caught up with PEOPLE this week todiscuss his latest film, specifically the “heavy-duty responsibility” of playing the presumed Boston Strangler. As he explained, the actor “approached the performance very cautiously, and I made the choice going in to do as much absolute research as I could do.“DeSalvo, who was never charged with the Boston Strangler murders, confessed to the crimes: the murders of 13 women, which took place between 1962 and 1964. Boston policeuncovered DNA evidence in 2013that linked DeSalvo, who died in 1973, to the crimes. And as the film depicts, much remains unclear about the case.“But it’s a heavy-duty responsibility, in my opinion, because you’re telling a story that is based on real events and there are real victims,” Dastmalchian noted. “You need to know what it is that you’re doing and why you’re doing it.“The movie also starsKeira KnightleyandCarrie Coonas real-lifeBoston Record-Americanreporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, for a “story about women who are fighting to tell women’s stories in an environment where the power structure doesn’t want those stories completely told,” as Dastmalchian explained.Boston Strangleralso stars Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola, Morgan Spector and Bill Camp, and is now streaming on Hulu.If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

David Dastmalchianis reflecting on two decades of sobriety.

TheAnt-Manstar, 47, opened up to Page Six at the New York premiere of his new filmBoston Strangler, when he spoke about where he is today — following 20 years of sobriety after a five-year heroin addiction before his acting career.

“For nothing else, the endless pool of gratitude that I feel for the past two decades of this journey, living without drugs and alcohol, absolutely informs all the work that I do as an actor and think about the characters I want to bring to life,” he told the outlet.

David Dastmalchian at the premiere of “Ant-Man And The Wasp”.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty for Disney

In Dastmalchian’s new film, he stars as the presumed Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo, and he used an “incredible series of books and research that exists” to help tell the story.

The actor previously opened up toThe Hollywood Reporterin 2018 about using drugs in high school in an effort to self-medicate his “undiagnosed depression issues.” A heroin addiction he picked up while attending Chicago’s DePaul University then followed, with him eventually living out of his car at his lowest point.

Dastmalchian drew from his heroin addiction experience while writing the 2014 filmAnimals. His own personal journey to sobriety included spending time at a psychiatric facility, rehab and a halfway house.

“Getting the mental health treatment I needed is my greatest accomplishment, and my sobriety of 19 years is a huge part of that,” he told NME in 2021. “But I’m still working at it, you know, there’s no victory flags or anything like that. It’s a daily journey, but I will say this: I could sit here with you now, and you could drink two bottles of wine in front of me and I wouldn’t feel any desire to join you. I have many friends who smoke pot, and it’s not difficult for me to be with them socially because I don’t have the desire. But if that [lack of desire] changed tomorrow, I know exactly what meeting I need to get to and who I need to contact to make sure I’m gonna be okay.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Dastmalchian caught up with PEOPLE this week todiscuss his latest film, specifically the “heavy-duty responsibility” of playing the presumed Boston Strangler. As he explained, the actor “approached the performance very cautiously, and I made the choice going in to do as much absolute research as I could do.”

DeSalvo, who was never charged with the Boston Strangler murders, confessed to the crimes: the murders of 13 women, which took place between 1962 and 1964. Boston policeuncovered DNA evidence in 2013that linked DeSalvo, who died in 1973, to the crimes. And as the film depicts, much remains unclear about the case.

“But it’s a heavy-duty responsibility, in my opinion, because you’re telling a story that is based on real events and there are real victims,” Dastmalchian noted. “You need to know what it is that you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”

The movie also starsKeira KnightleyandCarrie Coonas real-lifeBoston Record-Americanreporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, for a “story about women who are fighting to tell women’s stories in an environment where the power structure doesn’t want those stories completely told,” as Dastmalchian explained.

Boston Strangleralso stars Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola, Morgan Spector and Bill Camp, and is now streaming on Hulu.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com