Jack Reynor has told how young stars like himself are driven to take cocaine and other drugs to deal with the newfound fame of Hollywood.
The Co Wicklow star, 22, would see new actors around him at parties taking “a couple of lines” to give them the confidence to be around A-list celebrities.
And Jack – who is set to hit the big time in the new multi-million euro Transformers blockbuster – admits a dependance on cocaine is why so many up-and-coming talents are driven to rehab.
Asked how they cope with the pressure of newfound fame, he said: “I think that’s a very difficult thing for younger actors. And I think to cope with that, a lot of times, they start getting into drugs.
“Cocaine is a big drug for giving you confidence. A lot of actors will just bump a couple of lines and soon they’re the life of the party.
“And then they don’t have those confidence issues any more, they don’t need to find a way of relating to these movie stars who are around them.
Loved-up: Jack with fiance Madeline Mulqueen
“Because they’re their own thing now. They’ve got chemical compensation – and that’s all it is. Because the minute it’s gone, you’re in the same position you were in 10 minutes ago.
“I’ve seen this, and I think this is a massively contributing factor [to young stars having meltdowns].”
And Jack – who was recently engaged to Horse Outside model Madeline Mulqueen – also gets annoyed that so many people in his shoes are only it it for the fame and riches.
He added: “I also think a lot of actors in this younger generation are in it for the wrong reasons.
“I think a lot of them are there for the fame and for the money, and the recognition of it. They want to go home and be the big d**k in their home town.
“And that’s across the board in every single country that we have young actors coming out of – be it the States, be it the UK, absolutely anywhere.
“I think if you really want to be successful in this industry, it comes down to a passion for the work. It’s a vocation, not a job.”
Movie star: In the upcoming Transformers film
And Jack told the Irishman Abroad podcast that all they are doing is looking to immediately get a Hollywood blockbuster, but “that’s how you burn out”.
The Dubliner added that he gets annoyed at how accessible news about celebrities is – which he also feels is part of the problem.
He said: “The place that we’re at right now with media is that it’s instantly accessible to us all the time.
“There’s not a moment that you can’t be connected to something in the world by taking your phone out and looking at it.
“And I think that’s a problem, because people aren’t taking time to reflect on their lives and think about the real things that are around them.
“We’re constantly occupying our minds with the things we want to focus on and pay attention to – and not let the world relate itself to us anymore which is a big issue.”
