Melanie Griffith
Melanie Griffith is an American actress best known for her starring role in the 1988 romantic comedy Working Girl.
She is the daughter of actress Tippi Hedren and the mother of actress Dakota Johnson. Griffith has struggled with an addiction to alcohol and drugs from an early age, although sources close to the actress say she has been sober for the past three years.
Early Career
Griffith’s first credited roles were in films such as The Drowning Pool, Night Moves and Smile, all of which were released in 1975. Tatum O’Neal has claimed that she had a sexual encounter with Griffith in 1975 after taking hashish and opium, when O’Neal was 12 and Griffith was 18.
Griffith’s first major role was porn actress Holly Body in the 1984 thriller Body Double. Griffith’s first starring role was Audrey Hankel in the 1986 comedy Something Wild. Her breakout film Working Girl portrayed Griffith as working-class secretary Tess McGill.
Rehab
Griffith admits that her use of alcohol and cocaine increased steadily during her early career, especially when she was not in a romantic relationship. Her alcoholism reportedly delayed the production of Working Girl and resulted in Griffith being fined. After film production ended, Griffith checked into the Hazelden rehabilitation clinic with the help of actor Don Johnson. Griffith and Johnson married the following year and their daughter Dakota Mayi was also born in 1989.
Griffith began developing an addiction to painkillers after her rehab for alcoholism in 1988 and entered rehab again in 2000 for opiate addiction. She was in a skiing accident in 2007 and received a prescription for painkillers. Griffith says she continued taking pills after the prescription expired. She became addicted again and entered rehab for the third time in 2009.
This rehab stint lasted three months, including a 10-day withdrawal period. Her struggle is just one example of the many people in this country struggling with the growing painkiller prescription and addiction problem.
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Current Career – Life After Addiction
Griffith began to revive her career in 2010, which had started to stall in 2000. She made guest appearances on television series, including Nip/Tuck in 2010 and Hot in Cleveland in 2011. Griffith began filming the 2012 comedy The Hot Flashes with friends Brooke Shields and Daryl Hannah, but left the project after five days.
She also starred in the pilot for the 2012 television series This American Housewife, although Lifetime didn’t pick up the series. Griffith appeared in two episodes of the 2012 television comedy Raising Hope. She also starred in the 2012 play No Way Around but Through, written by Scott Caan.
Finding Help
The first step to overcoming an addiction like Griffith’s is to find help. Our counselors can help you find treatment for any drug or alcohol addiction, for yourself or for someone you love. Our proven techniques will help the student overcome their addiction and build a new, sober life that they can be proud of.