A child star turned into an acting, producing, and directing sensation, Jason Bateman is the man, who can do it all. Bateman started his career at the age of 11, starring in commercials, where he climbed his way to become one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. The actor has worked in iconic TV Series and films such as Arrested Development, Ozark, The Outsider, Air, and many more.
However, the State of Play actor would have lost it all like Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr., as early in his career, the childhood prodigy let himself loose when he was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Until his wife, Amanda Anka gave him an ultimatum, putting his acting career back on track.
Jason Bateman Opens Up About His Lost Decade in Hollywood
Transitioning from a talented child actor to a Hollywood heartthrob, Jason Bateman has established himself as one of the biggest talents with an exceptional acting range. The actor is often commended for his work ethic and professionalism and gained admiration from notable names in the industry.
However, this was not always the case as he was a troubled party animal in his 20s. The actor was young and wild and decided to let himself loose, once he was old enough to buy into his own fame. He shared more about his addiction while talking to The Guardian, where he shared that the 90s were his “wilderness years,” where he wanted to try everything as a kid but could not do it because he was trying hard not to offend his parents.
He continued that the term “partying” can be quite ambiguous as it can range from a couple of beers to a rampant heroin addiction. He emphasized partying and drugs were heavily addictive. Bateman labeled his partying years as the lost decade, and recalls all those years as “really fun.”
However, he was becoming irrelevant in the entertainment business for his nightlife and being a notorious name in the industry lacking the right work ethic.
He said,
“Having thought, ‘This is really fun,’ and staying at the party a little bit too long, I’d lost my place in line in the business; it was a case of trying to claw that back towards the end of the 90s, and not getting a lot of great responses.”
While acknowledging how his career was going downhill, he got an ultimatum from his wife, Amanda Anka, which compelled him to get his life back on track.
The Ultimatum Which Changed Jason Bateman’s Career
Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka knew each other for a decade before they started dating, and believe it was their friendship that helped their romance to last longer. They met in the mid 1980s, at 18 years old but started dating after a decade, and tied the knot in 2001. Even though he married his childhood friend, his lifestyle did not change and at one point in their married life, she was frustrated with him to the point, where she gave him an ultimatum.
During an exclusive interview with Details magazine via Access, he shared how alcohol and drugs are as addictive as “ketchup and French fries,” and his wife left the town after giving the ultimatum, which forced him to go to Alcoholics Anonymous.
He said,
I was never at a place where rehab would have been appropriate. Booze was what would make me want to stay out all night and do some blow or smoke a joint or whatever, so shutting that off was key. It’s like ketchup and French fries — I don’t want one without the other. So that’s the moment: Do you want to continue being great at being in your twenties, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?”
The actor clawed his way back to stardom as he stepped up, and decided to follow a healthy lifestyle, including his wife and two children, with a healthy obsession of basketball.
