In 2009, the science-fiction film Avatar by director James Cameron once created a worldwide earthquake when bringing in a record revenue of nearly 3 billion USD.
13 years on from that timeline, Avatar returns with the Avatar: The Way of Water sequel. This work quickly caused a global box office storm when it was compared to the highest cinematic special effects party. As of the end of December 20, the film has grossed more than 497 million USD globally along with many winged compliments.
Avatar: The Way of Water is epic, eye-catching, worth the money, an excellent continuation of the work released in 2009.
With his appearance in the first Avatar, Sam Worthington became Hollywood’s brightest star overnight – in the way many have likened to the film’s incredible success. With that launch pad many people dream of, it was thought that actor Sam Worthington would reach the pinnacle of artistic glory, but he plummeted to the point of losing control because he fell into tragedy.
Avatar made actor Sam Worthington, then very young, gradually lose control of his life
The star slipped because of addiction right at the peak of his life’s glory
At the time Sam became famous thanks to Avatar, he was only 33 years old. Filming has never been difficult for him, but promoting the movie or spending time with the media is a challenge for the Australian-born actor. The temptation of fame and the precariousness of being known around the world pushed Sam into addiction.
Sam Worthington once said in an interview that, after Avatar, he knew cities around the world were not about sights or monuments, but about favorite bars. Before his first-class flight, he always had four or five glasses of wine. His wife – Lara also admitted, she had never seen anyone drink so much before the plane took off. According to Worthington: “I think it’s normal. I don’t like who I am. Drinking has gotten me through the day.”
The unexpected success of Avatar pushed Sam Worthington into celebrity tragedies and alcoholism
And from there, he began to have a habit of drinking alcohol every morning. “Nine out of 10 people don’t know I’m addicted. They can smell the alcohol on me, but when they look, they can’t tell. I’m still doing my job,” Sam continued.
As his fame in Hollywood grew, Sam Worthington’s personality gradually became erratic as he often resented the loss of his privacy. In 2014, he was arrested for punching a photographer on the street. The actor admitted, “I get mad when someone asks me to take a picture or take a picture of me. If someone approaches me, my anxiety will skyrocket.”
Instead of stopping drinking and going to a psychiatrist, he drank more and more. “I’m an emotional drunk. I become more emotional and erratic when I drink. I don’t think I’m mean, but I’m aggressive, I’m hot-tempered,” Worthington said.
Finally, Lara Worthington – Sam’s wife had to give her husband a tough ultimatum. “You can do what you want, but I don’t have to be around,” she told him. Only then did Sam wake up and understand that his wife was speaking words of love from the bottom of her heart, not anger or disappointment for him.
Actor Sam Worthington and his model wife Lara Worthington
The star’s revival is coming from the brink
Inherently, stories about the pressure of celebrities like Sam Worthington seem to be indispensable in Hollywood – where the attraction of fame when the road is lined with roses makes many artists prone to fall and make mistakes. After much effort and encouragement from his family, Sam Worthington accepted to sacrifice everything to go to rehab. The 46-year-old star opened up about his alcoholism for the first time, turning him into an ugly version of himself in public.
13 years after the blockbuster Avatar part one was a great success, the second part called Avatar: The way of water with the participation of Sam was released globally on December 16. The $350 million blockbuster is one of Hollywood’s most awaited works and also the most dangerous cinematic gamble of 2022.
Avatar: The Way of Water does a good job of building up the character’s psychological development
Avatar: The way of water reflects some of the changes in Sam Worthington’s life. His character Jake Sully in the film also has a stable life and has children. In real life, in the 13 years between the two Avatar movies, Sam Worthington was also married and had three sons.
During that time, he also decided to bring his family from Australia to New York (USA) to live because he believed that this was an environment where his children could be better protected.
After quitting drinking, Sam Worthington also has a new attitude about the roles he takes on. He no longer pursues big studio movies but accepts to challenge himself in different but also very interesting roles.
Sam Worthington gradually made positive changes in his life right after quitting alcohol
He agreed to play an army captain in the World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, collaborated with Harvey Keitel as a writer in Lansky, and played a murderer of his niece and sister-in-law in Under The Banner of Heaven. What all these roles have in common is that they are complex characters, struggling between feeling lost and self-hatred.
Worthington says he’s learning to temper his simmering emotions on set and keep them in front of the camera. “In my 30s, I was young and arrogant,” he said. The older you get, the calmer you become. When I was young, I was loud, hot-tempered, and adamant about my ideas. If you make a little concession, compromise when communicating, you will find something better than anything you can think of.”
