When his family found him slumped with a wrap of cocaine, he knew he had taken himself dangerously close to the edge, and actor Samuel L Jackson says he is where he is today because of years of drugs and alcohol.
"I think they've preserved me in a strange sort of way. All your experiences culminate in making you the person that you are," he said.
At 64, Jackson is a veteran of more than 140 films, including 'Pulp Fiction', 'Jackie Brown' and the 'Star Wars' series, reported Daily Mirror.
It was in the 1980s, Jackson finally realised he could suffer the same fate as his father, who died an alcoholic, and checked himself into rehab.
Two weeks after coming out he landed his first major screen role in 'Jungle Fever' - as a crack addict.
"I survived all that for some reason. I can tell my story and it lets people know that there is a chance," he added.
As for his enduring youthfulness, he says, "I must just have a good gene pool. There's nothing I can do about the aches and pains that come when you get old but I know I have a healthy lifestyle.
