'Succession' star Alan Ruck says he cut back on drinking alcohol to work through 'attitude problems' early in his career

• Alan Ruck reflected on the "attitude problems" that set him back early in his career.
• The actor told The Guardian on Tuesday that he used to "drink a lot" before his manager intervened.

After Alan Ruck landed a lead role in John Hughes' beloved 1986 film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" at 28, it seemed like the actor was on the fast track to superstardom. But for a long time, the actor said his drinking habits stunted his career trajectory.

"I had some attitude problems that got in my way then," the 65-year-old told The Guardian in an interview published Tuesday.

After playing Ferris' teenage sidekick Cameron Frye in the cult classic, the Cleveland-native went on to appear in a series of movies, TV shows, and on-stage productions; None of his roles were as celebrated or prominent as the one he'd snagged at 28.

Alcohol, Ruck told The Guardian, might have had something to do with the sudden stagnation.

"Well, I used to drink a lot," Ruck said, continuing, "I don't do that any more. There was always an excuse to take a drink. If things were not going well, I would have a drink. If things were going exceedingly well, I'd have many drinks."

His then-manager eventually noticed and intervened. Much to Ruck's surprise, she told him that he was "drinking too much."

"She said, 'There's gotta be a reason why you're not working, and this is the only thing I can think of,'" he recalled.

Ruck said he was "so desperate" to land roles that he took her advice and stopped consuming alcohol. Shortly thereafter, he booked the part of Stuart Bondek on the TV series "Spin City."

Over the years, he's observed echoes of his own past behavior in his fellow performers.

"It's true with actors there are a lot of boozehounds. You try to find something to turn off the noise in your head," he explained.

Now that Ruck is a father (he has two children with his first wife Claudia Stefany and two children with his second wife Mireille Enos), he said he doesn't have time to even consider picking up his old drinking habits.

"Well, I'm an older guy with kids, so mainly I'm just tired," he said.

Besides, Ruck is no longer hunting for a part that rivals Cameron. He's found it in HBO's Emmy-winning show "Succession." Ruck stars as Connor Roy, one of the four heirs to a multi-billion dollar media conglomerate.

"I've been waiting for a show like this for more than 30 years, something that's ostensibly a drama but is really twisted and funny," he said.