Princewill Pius
It’d be inaccurate to categorize Tobey Maguire’s career as completely dead post-Spider-Man 3, but it didn’t exactly recover either. (His role as Nick in the 2013 Baz Luhrmann adaptation of The Great Gatsby and his turn as a spoofed-up romantic lead Dirk Snowfield in IFC’s sleeper-hit miniseries The Spoils of Babylon both indicate otherwise.) It also didn’t help that some bad publicity, spurred by equally bad behavior, in the years interceding only added to discrediting his bankability.
Though much can be said for Maguire’s honesty regarding his past struggle with substance abuse — specifically alcoholism, which he managed to overcome and open up about in an interview with Playboy shortly after the release of Seabiscuit, per Entertainment Weekly — the same can’t be said for the gambling addiction he developed shortly after sobriety.
The actor made headlines in 2011 after Maguire was linked to an illegal gambling ring, which led to a lawsuit he reportedly settled out of court. During his days as a high roller, he also purportedly ordered a fellow poker player to “bark like a seal who wants a fish” in order for him to give her a $1,000 poker chip.
While faulting someone for battling addiction as a disease isn’t okay by any metric, it’s safe to say that letting it excuse bad behavior isn’t either.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health, please contact SAMHSA‘s 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Written by: Nicki
