‘Yellowstone’ star Wes Bentley credits Robert Downey Jr. for helping him overcome addiction

Yellowstone‘s Wes Bentley is opening up about overcoming his heroin addiction and giving a nod of credit and appreciation to Robert Downey Jr. who was open about his journey, which worked as the motivation Bentley desperately needed to fight his battle.

Speaking to Page Six during the red carpet premiere of season five, Bentley notes that how Downey Jr. worked through his addiction helped him find a way through his own journey. In fact, he says that it changed his life. 

“I was in the deepest throes of my addiction and in the worst place and at death’s door, I guess, or at risk of it and I saw him be so bold and brave and open and it saved me. So I thought if I do that too, I can maybe pass that on to somebody else.”

Bentley’s addiction began after his starring role in American Beauty, the 1999 film in which he played Ricky Fitts. The immediate surge to fame and the lifestyle changes that took place put Bentley in a place where he felt in over his head. 

“I never had money before. So there was a lot of combination of things I wasn’t prepared for. I also knew as an actor that I wasn’t going to be really ready to do good roles until in my 30s and 40s. So I didn’t really want it to happen like that too early. I tried to go with it and hang with it, but I wasn’t ready.”

Bentley credits Downey Jr. for being vulnerable and open in his journey. Still, his own honesty about addiction will undeniably help fans of Yellowstone who have followed his journey as well. It’s a hard road to walk down no matter what status in life you’re in, but having the ability to use one’s platform to help others takes bravery and strength — something both Bentley and Downey Jr. have in troves.

Bentley recently spoke about what fans can anticipate from the upcoming season and confirmed what recent teasers and trailers of the show had already teased — the Duttons will be dealing with plenty of chaos and drama that is headed their way.

Yellowstone‘s fifth season kicks off on Nov. 13, and we can’t wait to see it. Here’s to Bentley’s openness and his walk through sobriety for over a decade; it’s, undoubtedly, something worth commemorating.