Alec Baldwin misses “drinking” after 40 years of sobriety

The “30 Rock” actor also opened up about his cocaine addiction during the 1980s.

Alec Baldwin has been sober for 39 years – but admits he does "miss drinking." 

"I don't discuss this a lot," Baldwin admitted on the "Our Way with Paul Anka and Skip Bronson" podcast, "but I'm 39 years sober. I got sober February 23, 1985."

The actor, known for his role on "30 Rock," detailed his struggles with cocaine use in the early 1980s, describing it as "a white hot problem every day for two years."

"I mean, cocaine was like coffee back then," Baldwin said, adding "Everybody was doing it all day long. So I did a lot of coke."

After quitting drugs, Baldwin's alcohol consumption increased. However, by 1985, he had committed to becoming sober.

"The thing I miss is drinking," Baldwin confessed. "I don't miss drugs at all, but I do miss drinking. I like to drink."

Baldwin, 66, credits his long-term residence in New York City with aiding his sobriety. "New York relaxes me," he explained, citing walks, social outings, and cultural experiences like opera and ballet as his go-to stress relievers. 

Meditation, however, proves challenging with his large family. "Meditating with seven children is like trying to play ping pong on an aircraft carrier," he joked.

Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, have seven young children together. He also shares a daughter with ex-wife Kim Basinger.

This isn't the first time Baldwin has spoken openly about his past. His 2017 memoir, "Nevertheless," detailed his struggles with addiction, including "overdosing on drugs" in his 20s. 

"I'm glad I got [sober] when I did," Baldwin previously told "Good Morning America.”