When you're considering changing your relationship with alcohol, it can help to know you're in good company. Some of the most successful, creative, and admired people in the world have made the same choice—and they're refreshingly honest about why.
These aren't dramatic rock-bottom stories (though some are). Many are simply people who noticed alcohol wasn't serving them anymore and decided to make a change. Sound familiar?
Anne Hathaway: "Everything Is Better"
The Oscar-winning actress gave up alcohol and has been characteristically thoughtful about explaining why. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she shared her reasoning:
"I knew deep down it wasn't for me. And it just felt so extreme to have to say, 'But none?' But none. If you're allergic to something or have an anaphylactic reaction to something, you don't argue with it. So I stopped arguing with it."
What resonates most for many of us in our 40s and beyond is her observation about social situations: "The thing that I have faith in is that everybody else is going to have one or two drinks, and by the time everybody gets to two drinks, you'll feel like you've had two drinks—but without the hangover."
Her summary? "My personal experience with it is that everything is better."
Tom Holland: Recognizing Patterns
The Spider-Man star's story might sound familiar to anyone who's tried Dry January [blocked]. He didn't set out to quit drinking—he just wanted to take a break after a "very, very boozy December."
"I decided to just give up for January... and all I could think about was having a drink. It was all I could think about. I was waking up thinking about it, I was checking the clock... and it just really scared me."
Holland challenged himself to extend his break to two months, then to his birthday in June. When that day arrived, he realized he was "the happiest he'd ever been" and decided to keep going. He's since founded Bero, a non-alcoholic beer brand.
His experience mirrors what many people discover during a drinking break [blocked]: the absence of alcohol reveals patterns we didn't know we had.
Bradley Cooper: Two Decades of Clarity
The actor and director has been sober for over 20 years and credits his sobriety with enabling his career success. He's spoken openly about how alcohol was holding him back:
"I was doing cocaine and drinking a lot. I wasn't a good person. I wasn't the person I wanted to be."
What's notable about Cooper's story is how he frames sobriety not as deprivation, but as liberation. He's described feeling like he finally became the person he was meant to be—a sentiment echoed by many who make this change later in life.
Lewis Hamilton: Performance and Clarity
The Formula One champion represents a growing category: high performers who realize alcohol undermines their goals. Hamilton noticed his hangovers were becoming debilitating—lasting three or four days—and affecting his mental state before races.
"Since I've stopped drinking, I've just been feeling so much better, so much more clarity. I sleep better, I wake up in the morning and I can still get up at 5 a.m."
For those of us who've noticed alcohol affecting our sleep [blocked] or energy levels, Hamilton's experience validates what we're feeling. The benefits compound: better sleep leads to better focus, which leads to better performance in whatever matters to you.
Drew Barrymore: Breaking Patterns Privately
The actress and talk show host kept her sobriety private for two years before discussing it publicly—a reminder that this journey doesn't require announcements or accountability posts.
"When you are stuck in a pattern, or if you are going through things and you not only admit them out loud, but you force yourself to say, 'I'm willing to make big changes'... I think we all think we're very weak when we don't make those changes."
Barrymore's approach—working on herself quietly before sharing publicly—resonates with many who prefer to make changes without external pressure.
Florence Welch: "The Best Thing I Ever Did"
The Florence + The Machine frontwoman has been sober for over eight years and doesn't mince words about the impact:
"Sobriety is the best thing I ever did."
Her early career was marked by heavy drinking during the band's rise to fame. Looking back, she recognized that what felt like celebration was actually a coping mechanism. Her clarity now allows her to create from a more authentic place.
Miley Cyrus: No More Groggy Mornings
The singer's reasons for sobriety are refreshingly practical. With a family history of addiction, she decided to be proactive—but her day-to-day motivation is simple:
"I don't want to wake up feeling groggy. I want to wake up feeling ready."
She's also addressed the social pressure that comes with choosing not to drink: "There's that stigma of 'you're no fun' but it's like, 'Honey, you can call me a lot of things, but I know that I'm fun.'"
For anyone worried about being perceived as boring, Cyrus offers a useful reframe: fun comes from who you are, not what you're drinking.
Rob Lowe: 25+ Years of Structure
The actor has been in recovery for over 25 years and remains actively engaged in supporting others. His longevity in sobriety offers hope that this isn't just a phase—it's a sustainable way of life.
Lowe has been open about how sobriety gave him the structure to build the career and family life he wanted. His story demonstrates that the benefits of changing your relationship with alcohol compound over time.
Colin Farrell: 15 Years and Counting
The Irish actor struggled with alcohol when he first arrived in Hollywood and has now been sober for about 15 years. His journey shows that even in an industry where drinking is normalized, it's possible to build a successful career without it.
Jamie Lee Curtis: Decades of Advocacy
The actress has been in long-term recovery and has become a vocal advocate for others facing similar challenges. Her openness has helped reduce stigma and shown that successful, creative people can thrive without alcohol.
Zendaya: Never Started
While most celebrities on this list changed their drinking habits, Zendaya represents another path: she never started. On her 21st birthday, she posted:
"Just because I'm now the legal drinking age, doesn't mean I'm going to start throwing 'em back. I don't plan to start drinking... This industry is way too nuts for me to not be in control of myself and my decisions."
Her perspective offers validation for anyone who's ever felt pressure to drink in professional or social settings. Choosing not to drink isn't about having a "problem"—it can simply be about maintaining control and clarity.
What These Stories Have in Common
Looking across these experiences, several themes emerge:
Clarity and energy. Nearly everyone mentions feeling clearer, more energetic, and more present. Lewis Hamilton's "so much more clarity" echoes Anne Hathaway's "everything is better."
Better sleep. Multiple celebrities specifically mention improved sleep—something that research confirms [blocked] is one of the first benefits of reducing alcohol.
No regrets. Not one of these people expresses regret about their choice. The consistent message is that life is better on the other side.
Personal timing. Everyone came to this decision in their own time, for their own reasons. There's no single "right" moment to change your relationship with alcohol.
It's not about perfection. These aren't stories of moral superiority. They're stories of people who noticed something wasn't working and made a change.
What This Means for You
You don't need to be a celebrity to benefit from drinking less. The clarity, energy, and improved sleep these famous faces describe are available to anyone who makes a similar choice.
The difference between their experience and yours? They have paparazzi documenting their journey. You get to do this privately, at your own pace, in whatever way works for your life.
Whether you're curious about cutting back [blocked], considering a Dry January [blocked] experiment like Tom Holland, or ready for a bigger change, you're in remarkably good company.
Curious what changing your relationship with alcohol might look like for you? Download ClearDays to track your clear days and discover your own version of "everything is better."