John Thomson has become reliant on yoga.
John Thomson
The 'Cold Feet' star had problems with addiction and suicidal thoughts in the past, but transformed his "colourful" life and left his "rock and roll" days behind him when he took up the Hindu-inspired discipline often used get fit and relax.
He told The Daily Mirror newspaper: "I was 27 when I started this. I was wild. I needed to be tamed. Maturity's something I very much embrace, but I'm not shutting the door on the past. I had a brilliant time. I can hold my head up and go, 'I'm rock and roll'. I've had a colourful life. I've not just ticked along, job to job. And now I do yoga and healthy living."
Last year 'Cold Feet' was given a reboot and the 48-year-old star says he and the rest of his cast mates are having just as much fun, but are now "wiser" than ever.
He explained: "I think we're all wiser in some respects. Doing this is as much fun as before, but different."
John previously admitted his career plummeted when the award-winning sitcom was taken off air in 2003 but, despite his "dark thoughts", he talked himself out of ending his life because of his children and he had too much to lose.
Asked whether he had ever contemplated suicide during his lowest point, he said: "There's a force in me that won't allow me to go that low. Too much to lose.
"Maybe before children, possibly, but not now. Not now. You contemplate. I've had thoughts. I've had dark thoughts, but never considered carrying them out.
"I could toy with the idea of it and how to do it, but not carry it out, because I've got something in me, call it spirit, a guardian angel."
After 'Cold Feet' was axed, John struggled for 10 years to find TV work, but says his voiceover work was a "life saver".
He explained: "I was four years sober and word still hadn't had got round the industry that I was "redeemed".
"[Voiceovers] were my life-savers, really. Doing a commercial's voiceover is like having a Christmas number one."
Things turned around for John last year when 'Cold Feet' was given a reboot and he has since been able to draw on his own experience with depression to help play his alter-ego Pete Gifford's battle.
He said: "I drew on my experience. That's the thing, though - as an actor it's best to have an interesting life because it gives you something to draw on. If you just tick along all day, you don't have much to draw on. I'm grateful I'm rock 'n' roll, really."
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