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Indeed, Harris later admitted to alcoholism. He also indulged in illicit substances, and almost died of an overdose in 1978. He dried out in 1981, although he did resume drinking Guinness towards the end of his life. He died in 2002 of pneumonia.
At the height of his stardom in the 1960s and early '70s, Harris was almost as well known for his hell-raiser lifestyle and copious drinking as he was for his acting career.
Irish actor Richard Harris first came to prominence in 'This Sporting Life' (1963), which won him the Best Actor award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. He was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.
Oliver Reed's notable films include 'Oliver!' (1968), 'Tommy' (1975), and 'Gladiator' (2000), his final screen appearance.
Reed's issues with drinking were well publicized. A binge drinker, the actor led a reckless lifestyle. He would often turn up drunk on television chat shows, and once boasted of knocking back 106 pints of beer on a two-day bar crawl.
Reed's close friend was The Who's drummer Keith Moon. As drinking partners, the pair were often seen inebriated at parties and functions. In 1987, Reed became seriously ill with kidney problems as a result of his alcoholism, and had to abstain from drinking for over a year. In 1999, he suffered a heart attack while drinking in a bar in Malta during a break from filming 'Gladiator,' and died on the way to the hospital.
Keith Moon is regarded as one of the greatest drummers in rock music history. While celebrated for his unique style and explosive energy, Moon was also noted for his eccentric, often self-destructive behavior: he developed a reputation for smashing his kit on stage and destroying hotel rooms on tour.
Moon enjoyed socializing and quickly became addicted to alcohol: brandy and Champagne were his favorites. His reputation for decadence and dark humor led to him being called "Moon the Loon."
By 1976, his health had deteriorated considerably. He passed out on stage on several occasions, and had to be hospitalized. He died in 1978, ironically, from an overdose of Heminevrin, a drug intended to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. He's pictured here with bandmate John Entwistle, who succumbed to substance abuse in 2002.
Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his generation, Richard Burton's early promise as a Shakespearean stage actor was somewhat dampened by his screen career, which disappointed some critics and colleagues who believed he had wasted his talent.
Burton was an alcoholic and a heavy smoker. According to biographer Robert Sellers, "At the height of his boozing in the mid-'70s he was knocking back three to four bottles of hard liquor a day." His turbulent relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, herself an excessive drinker, kept both in the gossip columns.
Burton, seen here with Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, worked hard and played hard. He blamed his drinking for wrecking his marriage to Taylor. By the early 1980s, he was suffering from arthritis, dermatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Health issues continued to plague him until his death at age just 58.
Maverick actor and filmmaker Dennis Hopper appeared alongside James Dean in 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955) and 'Giant' (1956), but found fame with 'Easy Rider' (1969). He instantly became a counterculture hero.
Hopper's notorious substance abuse ostracized him from cinema for many years. He spent much of the 1970s and early 1980s living as an "outcast" in Taos, New Mexico, where he was arrested for a traffic misdemeanor. The actor also had a troubled relationship with women, and was married five times. He died of cancer in 2010.
By his own admission, Hopper was a difficult actor to work with. His insolent behavior meant he couldn't always find work in Hollywood. But it was his wild and offhand personal life that closed many a production door.
Brando's cultural influence on 20th-century film is immense: 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951), 'The Wild One' (1953), and 'On the Waterfront' (1954) are considered classics of cinema. But early in his career, Brando developed a reputation as a difficult and unpredictable actor to work with.
Brando's tumultuous personal life, including his large number of partners and children, made showbiz headlines around the world. His public 'bad boy' outbursts and antics became legendary. According to Los Angeles magazine, "Brando was rock and roll before anybody knew what rock and roll was."
Brando refused to memorize his lines, though that didn't seem to affect his acting ability. He famously declined his Best Actor Oscar for his performance in 'The Godfather' (1972), and courted controversy in 1996 with his views on Jews and Hollywood, aired on an edition of the 'Larry King Live' show.
One of modern cinema's most respected actors, Jack Nicholson's films include 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), 'The Shining' (1980), and 'Something's Gotta Give' (2003).
Known in his earlier years for some pretty wild partying, Nicholson's notorious claim to hell-raising fame is his drunken encounter with Princess Margaret at a party thrown by super-agent Sue Mengers in 1979. The actor suggested they go to the bathroom and indulge in a little substance abuse. Her Royal Highness, the Guardian newspaper reported, icily declined.
In 1994, assault and vandalism charges leveled against the actor were dropped following a traffic dispute, a case that was reported by the Los Angeles Times and other news media.
Flynn had a reputation in Hollywood for his womanizing and hedonistic personal life, which often went far beyond just attending glamorous celebrity parties in the company of beautiful women.
Swashbuckling Errol Flynn achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood in films such as 'Captain Blood' (1935) and 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938). But there was a darker side to the suave and handsome Australian-born American actor.
Flynn was a hard drinking, chain smoking lothario who allegedly had two-way mirrors and peepholes installed in the bathrooms and bedrooms of his mansion. His fall from grace followed a widely publicized 1943 trial where the actor was accused of sexual assault by two women. He was eventually acquitted, but his reputation was irrevocably damaged. Flynn died in 1959, with excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption listed as a contributing factor.
Rising to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has truly earned his nickname as the "Prince of Darkness." In fact, he was fired from the band in 1979 due to excessive drinking and illegal substance consumption.
Osbourne partied with the likes of Mötley Crüe, and abused his body for most of his life. The famously hard-living rocker has even surprised himself by surviving for so long.
For some celebrities, hell-raising and hedonism go hand in hand with show business. Indeed, drunken, outrageous, and often anti-social behavior is not so much an act as a way of life. But the hard-living, womanizing excesses associated with this kind of lifestyle come at a price. And there are those who have paid dearly for their dalliance, deviance, and debauchery.
Click through the following gallery and take a look at the wild lives and fast times of these showbiz stars.
Acclaimed for his role in 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962), Peter O'Toole cut his teeth in the West End. And that's where his reputation for fast living was honed. Excelling on the London stage, O'Toole was known as a "hell-raiser" off it.
The actor's contemporaries included Richard Burton, Oliver Reed, and Richard Harris. Together their intoxicating success on stage and screen was matched only by their seemingly limitless capacity for alcohol.
Despite his appetite for alcohol, O'Toole, seen here with Jodie Whittaker and Helen Mirren, outlived his drinking buddies by several years. He died of cancer aged 81 in 2013.
Having cleaned up his act, Osbourne reinvented himself, becoming a reality television star and appearing as himself in the MTV show 'The Osbournes' alongside wife and manager Sharon and two of their three children, Kelly and Jack. But he's currently facing a new challenge, having been diagnosed with Parkin syndrome, a genetic condition the symptoms of which are similar to Parkinson's disease.
Sources: (Guardian ) (Los Angeles Times)
See also: Stars acting under the influence on set.
The wildest showbiz hell-raisers
When celebrities get out of control
CELEBRITY Bad boys
For some celebrities, hell-raising and hedonism go hand in hand with show business. Indeed, drunken, outrageous, and often anti-social behavior is not so much an act as a way of life. But the hard-living, womanizing excesses associated with this kind of lifestyle come at a price. And there are those who have paid dearly for their dalliance, deviance, and debauchery.
Click through the following gallery and take a look at the wild lives and fast times of these showbiz stars.