‘Back to the Future’ star Christopher Lloyd reveals decades-long struggle with addiction

See more of our coverage in your search results. “Back to the Future” star Christopher Lloyd was addicted to cocaine and alcohol for many years, he divulges in his new memoir. The 88-year-old actor recalls in “In My Own Time: A Memoir,” published Tuesday, that he did his first “snort” of cocaine outside a comedy club in Los Angeles during the ’70s. At the time, Lloyd went out to the car of a woman he had just met and “did a couple of lines.” Christopher Lloyd (pictured above in May 2024) wrestled with a drug and alcohol addiction for several years. FilmMagic for HBO The actor confesses in “In My Own Time” that he was “hooked” the first time he tried cocaine in the 1970s. GC Images He writes, “That was all it took. I was hooked almost immediately. I loved it, and that was where my cocaine abuse began.” The “Taxi” alum goes on to tell readers his cocaine, alcohol and pot use quickly became “entrenched,” although he never appeared on stage or in front of a camera under the influence. “I wasn’t asking myself what it meant or what it was doing for me,” he adds. “I just knew I liked it, and before long it had a hold on me.” Lloyd (pictured above in “Taxi”) insists to readers he never performed while high or drunk. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection After “Taxi” was canceled in 1983, Lloyd had a drug-fueled accident that injured his hand and required surgery. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Lloyd remembers being high and drunk during an argument with his then-girlfriend when “Taxi” was canceled after five seasons in 1983. After spending the night at his nephew’s L.A. home, Lloyd returned to find out his partner had locked him out — so he began punching the windows. “The next thing I remember, I was lying on the floor of my kitchen, bleeding out, and paramedics were attending to me,” he writes. “I later learned that I had lost so much blood that they had to give me plasma.” The “Back to the Future” star (pictured above in 1985) began his journey to sobriety in 1993. ©MCA/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection The actor (pictured above in “Addams Family Values” in 1993) went to rehab for five weeks — then relapsed “a few times.” ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection In an eerie turn of events, Lloyd’s “Taxi” costar Andy Kaufman died the previous evening at the same hospital, losing his battle to cancer at 35. Lloyd had to undergo surgery at the time, as well as physical therapy, to ensure he’d be “able to spread [his] fingers correctly.” “The Addams Family” star entered rehab in 1993 after working with a psychologist who helped him see the damage drugs and alcohol were doing in his life. “Some years later on April 1, I got sober for what turned out to be the last time,” Lloyd writes. Disney via Getty Images “In My Own Time: A Memoir” is in bookstores now. Hachette Book Group He remained in rehab for five weeks. “That was the beginning, but not the end of it,” Lloyd confesses in his book. “I relapsed a few times after that. … Some years later on April 1, I got sober for what turned out to be the last time.” The Emmy winner also writes lovingly of his time spent playing the eccentric Dr. Emmett Brown in the “Back to the Future” trilogy in his tell-all, revealing that both John Lithgow and Jeff Goldblum were on the short list to play the iconic character. If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!