One of Hollywood's most adored and productive performers is John
Goodman.
Goodman has had a tremendous career that is still going strong, starting
with his debut performance on the classic sitcom Roseanne and continuing
with several more outstanding movies.
For Goodman, that magnificent woman is his wife Anna Beth Hartzog, to whom
he has been blissfully married for more than three decades. Of course,
behind every great man stands a great woman.
Through good and terrible times, Anna has been a source of support for
Goodman. At a difficult point in his life, she gave him the motivation to
stop drinking, which finally caused him to lose a large amount of
weight.
The pair is currently commemorating their 33rd wedding anniversary.
While shooting the 1988 movie Everybody's All-American in New Orleans,
Goodman first met the woman who would become his wife. The actor went to a
Halloween party and fell in love with Anna there.
"I went to this Halloween party, and she came up and introduced herself.
Goodman told Elle, "I couldn't understand why anybody that attractive was
talking to me.
The two didn't begin dating right immediately, though; according to Goodman
on Seth Meyers, his future wife "thought he was a zombie." However, after he
"stalked her long distance," the two began dating.
In 1989, the two were hitched and moved to New Orleans. In 1990, Molly
Evangeline Goodman, their daughter, was born.
John Goodman was also making a reputation for himself at this time,
courtesy to his breakthrough performance in Roseanne. He was nominated for
five Emmy Awards and received a Golden Globe for his performance.
But Goodman was having trouble in the background. The actor started
drinking excessively, including on the set of the popular program, as the
actor's newfound stardom began to wear on him.
He told Today that it was first exhilarating. When I lost my anonymity,
things became terrifying. I became resentful and complacent. I intended to
quit the program after nine years—actually, eight years," he said. "I
managed it by sitting on a bar stool, just as I did with everything else.
Thus, things became worse... I would have slurred speech.
After missing a rehearsal after partying with pals, things reached rock
bottom and he recognized he needed assistance.
"I kept drinking, but I couldn't stop trembling. According to The Sun, he
claimed, "I had the clarity of thinking that I needed to be
hospitalized.
He recounts that his wife finally saved his life by arranging for him to
enter a rehabilitation facility.
"I phoned my wife, which was like making the Gestapo out of myself. And she
made some contacts; we were able to get me into a rehab facility, where I
underwent detoxification and discovered I like the experience.
Goodman has apparently been clean since 2007 after a 30-year struggle with
alcoholism.
Additionally, his choice to stop drinking alcohol marked the beginning of
another significant shift in his life: his drastic weight reduction.
"I was basically constantly eating. I was simply drinking and eating," he
said to Peter Travers in 2017. I used to take three months off, shed 60 or
70 pounds, and then treat myself with a 6-pack of marijuana or something
similar before reverting to my former routines.
Then, I decided that this time, I would move gently and workout. I can no
longer afford to remain motionless as I get older. And while work is so
exhausting, it provides me the energy I need to work.
Goodman reportedly shed 100 pounds. He attributes his achievement, in
addition to giving up drinking, to portion management and training with
personal trainer Mackie Shilstone.
Now that Goodman is well and clean, his career is flourishing. He recently
appeared in the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones as well as the spin-off
The Conners. He has proceeded to make appearances in other movies, including
blockbusters like 10 Cloverfield Lane and Kong: Skull Island.
Additionally, John Goodman's personal life is still going nicely. He and
Anna have been married for 33 years as of today.
In addition, his 32-year-old daughter Molly apparently works in Hollywood
as a production assistant.
The actor claimed he relocated to New Orleans to keep his kid out of the
Los Angeles tabloid limelight and attributes his daughter's successful
upbringing to his wife: "She came out fantastic. However, she had her
grandmother and mother to teach her etiquette, according to Goodman.
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