To All the Boys star Noah Centineo says he went through ‘a really dark time’ of drug taking

‘There wasn’t really much I wouldn’t do,’ actor says. ‘I was really upset, man’

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Noah Centineo has opened up about the extent of his past drug use, saying he went through “a really dark time” in his life.

In 2018, Centineo was propelled to stardom following the release of Netflix romantic-comedy To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, in which he stars as lacrosse-playing jock Peter Kavinsky.

To coincide with the sequel’s release the actor took part in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, in which he detailed how up until a few years ago, taking drugs was a regular occurrence for him.

When asked what drugs he experimented with from the age of 17 before going sober at 21, the 23-year-old responded: “Everything.”

“There wasn’t really much I wouldn’t do,” he said. “I never, ever injected anything, which is good. I smoked a lot of things. I was really upset, man. It was a really dark time in my life.”

Centineo explained that in the entertainment industry there is “a syndicate of, like, 500 to 1,000 kids” who are all trying to achieve success and “party every night” while doing so.

He recalled how he and his friends would “take Molly and talk for five hours and like get to the bottom of some really deeply philosophical existential questions”.

The actor said he decided to go sober the day before his 21st birthday, and has remained so ever since.

Centineo also spoke about his home life during his teenage years when his parents separated.

Following his mother and father’s divorce when he was 15 years old, Centineo lived in a hotel room with his mother, while his sister remained with his father.

“As the 15-year-old living in close quarters with my mum, I felt an obligation to step up and fill a role, fill a position that was vacant at that time,” he stated.

“In doing so, I bristled and I kind of shoved down a lot of emotion.”

Now at the age of 23, Centineo has several methods of keeping stress at bay, including taking baths and practising meditation, saying he does “a lot of freaking out”.

“I like journaling. I talk to myself a lot if I’m mad at something that I did. I’ll scream at myself, really, like, looking in the mirror, right? Like, in my room. Like, ‘Dude, like, stop, this is f***ing unacceptable. You’re better than this!’” he explained.

“I hold myself very accountable, but I can talk myself off of ledges too. And that’s a strong thing.”

To contact the Frank drugs helpline, you can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or email the charity. The helpline is open 24/7.