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EXCLUSIVE: Tom Sizemore is grateful for his sobriety.
The actor, who has been public about his struggles with addiction, is starring in a new horror film titled "Central Park Dark" where he plays Thomas, an alcoholic married doctor who has a one-night stand with Nina (Cybil Lake). The film was made before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic impacted the globe.
"When I read the part, I felt it was something that I could relate to," the 59-year-old told Fox News. "A doctor who had a substance abuse problem, conquered it, and then had a relapse. He bumps into this young woman, they have a naughty weekend, and then it takes a sinister turn. Psychologically, it was very interesting to me. It was interesting to me. So when I read it, I dug the part."
Sizemore is best recognized for his "tough-guy" characters. His first break came when Oliver Stone cast him in 1989's "Born on the Fourth of July" alongside Tom Cruise. His career features prominent roles in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down," among others. In "Central Park Dark," he worked alongside Lake, who also served as his director.
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Tom Sizemore is starring in a new horror film titled 'Central Park Dark.' (Photo courtesy of Anderson Group PR)
"I love working with actors who are better than me because you have to level up," Lake told Fox News. "So it was amazing to work with a great actor like Tom. What I loved most about this story is the simple dynamic between these two characters and how quickly things turn."
Despite Sizemore’s success in Hollywood, he has been dogged by drug abuse and domestic violence arrests. The star said he’s now clean.
"I’ve been trying to get sober since 1991," he admitted. "It became really big news much later than that, but I was trying to stop. I’ve had a problem for a long time. I had periods, long periods, of sobriety and I would end up relapsing."
"I still go to meetings and work my steps, but I had reached a place in my life where I knew I had to stop," said Sizemore. "I couldn’t be arrogant anymore. If I wanted to reach a nice and pleasant old age, I had to stop. And if I wanted to watch my kids grow up, I needed to reach a place where I knew it was over."
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Tom Sizemore said he's sober and focused on his future. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images)
"So far, it has remained over," he continued. "I still have to do my daily inventory and show up. So doing this role wasn’t as difficult as you might think because I’ve been through it quite a bit. And I’m now more mature."
Lake was able to identify with Sizemore’s journey. She has been sober herself for 10 years. Lake also said she was dating an alcoholic when she originally wrote "Central Park Dark."
"I was with an active alcoholic and wrote this in his place," she said. "And now I realize it was like a mirror and I didn’t even know it. I thought I was writing fiction. I hit the bottom of all bottoms 10 years ago. I was in a warehouse in Brooklyn and somebody was beating me up. I knew this was not how it was supposed to go. I have a better life on the other side. And here I am so blessed to be working with somebody like Tom Sizemore."
Sizemore said that despite their pasts, he and Lake had fun on set bringing a more sinister story to life.
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Cybil Lake served as co-star and director of 'Central Park Dark.' (Photo courtesy of Anderson Group PR)
"If you’re ever trying to get sober, you don’t get yourself into a sexual relationship with somebody," he chuckled. "It’s not the smartest move. But people do exactly that. I’m playing a doctor, who's obviously a bright man, but he does fall right into this trip and he tries to change the outside. But you can’t just do that. You’ve got to change the inside first."
"If you don’t really work a program, you just pick up another addiction," Lake chimed. "Some people pick up a lover. Some people quickly jump into relationship after relationship… When I reached my 10-year mark, I just had some conception that I was free, I was done. But it is a work in progress. And if you don’t work on it, you’ll end up falling into another trap."
Sizemore revealed there were some real-life horrors that took place while filming.
"One of the scariest things was when [Lake] buried me alive," he said. "The reason that was scary is pretty obvious. We didn’t have a huge budget so we used real dirt. I had to really get buried. And the whole getting into a grave is just unpleasant. It was shallow. It was deep enough. It was scary."
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Tom Sizemore’s career has included prominent roles in 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Black Hawk Down.' (Photo courtesy of Anderson Group PR)
"The most fearful moment for me was towards the end of the shoot," said Lake. "I think Tom probably had enough of me at that point. We were shooting a scene where he was supposed to hit me with a shovel over the head. I was hoping it would be a gentle tap."
Now that "Central Park Dark" is out, Sizemore is thinking about his future.
"What’s the advice I would give to my younger self?" he said. "The obvious - don’t get involved with drugs and drinking. Let’s knock that one out. That’s obvious. But also, trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s most likely not."
"Don’t try to let agents and other people become more vital or bigger in your mind," he shared. "Don’t try to make something [as an actor] that doesn’t feel right. Because if it doesn’t read well, it’s never going to perform well. So trust your instincts - that’s if you have good ones. But trust yourself. Be true to yourself. "
"Central Park Dark" is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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