Trainwreck Nick Nolte Reveals He's Sober After DUI Arrest & Lifetime Of Boozy Benders

After a lifetime of boozy benders, Nick Nolte revealed he's ditched booze and drugs forever — all thanks to his little girl!

The 76-year-old former Oscar nominee admits in his new memoir, "Rebel: My Life Outside The Lines," that years of getting wasted was his way of escaping his own life.

"I drank in order to deal with anything I found difficult – relationships, failed projects – using alcohol even as a tonic against loneliness and the ironic kind of isolation that celebrity often brings," he writes in his book.

Nolte admits to a lifetime battling addiction, and the iconic photo after his 2002 DUI bust is in the celebrity mug shot hall of fame.

But these days, he gets his rush by watching his 10-year-old daughter Sophie play basketball.

"I was just worn out," Nolte told PEOPLE about his wild party days.

Now, the 48 HRS. star is looking forward to getting married to Sophie's mother, Pilates instructor Clytie Lane, before "our daughter gets too much older."

While he hasn't officially retired from acting, and doubts he ever will, Nolte mainly stays holed up in his Malibu home these days, gardening and growing his own veggies.

"The quiet, rural life has always kept me sane," he says, adding "Sophie's been a good motivation to keep going."

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