Kiefer Sutherland had a "great time" during his days of wild partying.
Kiefer Sutherland was known for his wild partying
The 55-year-old actor - who has endured three spells in jail, most recently in 2007 for driving under the influence (DUI) - admitted he has some regrets about his past behaviour but he's also thankful that his time spent in bars drinking alcohol has also given him some of his greatest stories.
He said: “I had a great time. I’ll make no bones about it. There are moments where I embarrassed myself and did some things I really regret and I wish I hadn’t put myself in those positions. But the great stories I have in my life and great times with my friends were certainly centred around a bar, having a drink. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t do it.”
After leaving jail for the third time, the former '24' star had three bird tattoos etched on his skin as a reminder to "smarten up" and curb his wild antics.
He told The Times magazine: “I was never going to put myself in that position again. And these birds were going to remind me to smarten up.”
Kiefer admitted part of his hell-raising behaviour was an attempt to keep up with the actors he idolised when he was younger.
He said: “When I look back at the actors I really admire, there was Gene Hackman or Peter O’Toole or Richard Harris. These were people who really lived a life and you could see it in their face and feel it in their words. I was always impressed by that, and I think maybe as a young person I tried to keep up a little more than I should have.”
The 'Stand By Me' star wishes he'd spent more time with his dad, acting legend Donald Sutherland, when he was younger.
He said: “I think both of us would say we wish we spent more time together and that’s just the truth."
Despite the 'Don't Look Now' actor's own fame, Kiefer admitted his dad's reputation didn't always help him when he was starting his career.
He said: "I’ve certainly seen moments where it has helped me and I’ve seen moments where it really has not.
"My father is not a wallflower. He’s had a colourful life and there are a few people he might have rubbed the wrong way down the road.
"I certainly know one director – I sat in his waiting room for six hours and that director would not see me because he’d had a falling-out with my father.”
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