Brigid Berlin

September 10, 2007 11:31 AM

Brigid Berlin makes today's hollywood train wrecks look lame. "In the early 70s, I went to Woolworth's and bought a jigger so I could have just one getting-dressed drink. By the time I left the house, I'd had 20. One time, I was in a hairdresser under the dryer getting bored. I went to the bar across the street in my rollers and had a glass of white wine. Then another glass of wine and another. I can't remember anything else until I woke up in a Howard Johnson near La Guardia Airport. And there were pancakes and maple syrup. There was a cute boy in the room watching Kids Are People Too. I think I thought that Andy would put him on the cover of Interview. He didn't."
posted by bustmakeupleave (14 comments total)

NSFW?
posted by DU at 11:41 AM on September 10, 2007

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Brigid eventually cleaned up through twelve step fellowships in approximately 1985 and still deals on a daily basis with her addiction to food. Her drugs of choice were speed and Majorska vodka.

That's a combo that's not really all that rare. Addict/alcoholics like to combine uppers with their booze to party longer.
posted by birdhaus at 11:43 AM on September 10, 2007

Wow, that's a crazy story that I didn't know before.
posted by OmieWise at 11:52 AM on September 10, 2007

I recently saw some documentary which interviewed Brigid fairly recently. She lives on the Upper East Side with four little dogs.
posted by kimdog at 11:56 AM on September 10, 2007

Painfully interesting post bustmakeupleave.

I hope she's found a workable happiness after surviving such an intense early adulthood. Glad Brigid went into recovery.

I can relate to being a recovering debutante, being put on amphetamines when I was eight year old. Second grade was bizarre on speed.

It was her birthday September 6th. Happy Birthday Brigid! :)
posted by nickyskye at 12:00 PM on September 10, 2007

Loved Pie In The Sky - although I felt sad and sorry that she is still completely ruled by her addition to food. I think over the course of the documentary she lapsed from her very strict program and gained a not-insignificant amount of weight just from pie.
posted by pinky at 12:03 PM on September 10, 2007

Addiction, not addition! Dammit!
posted by pinky at 12:03 PM on September 10, 2007

Hmm. Yet she managed not to OD, die in a car accident, or commit suicide. I don't know why but it actually really surprised me to read that she's still alive.
posted by arcticwoman at 12:17 PM on September 10, 2007

I get to be her when we play factory.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:20 PM on September 10, 2007

kimdog: she doesn't live on the upper east side, she lives in Gramercy (I know as she lives in my building) and she seems to be doing mostly OK these days (even 10 years ago, I wouldn't have bet on it as you could smell the alcohol and cigarette off her from a mile away)
posted by TNLNYC at 2:18 PM on September 10, 2007

... I woke up in a Howard Johnson near La Guardia Airport.

Scariest thing in the whole piece.
posted by rob511 at 3:01 PM on September 10, 2007

Wow. I want a cock book of my very own....
posted by tiny crocodile at 4:36 PM on September 10, 2007

God, Pie in the Sky is one of the greatest documentaries of all time. She fucking rules.
posted by Brittanie at 8:04 PM on September 10, 2007

I saw her on the street with two of her pugs a few years ago...she's much smaller than I expected, given she's such a presence onscreen (no, I am NOT talking about her weight).
posted by brujita at 9:32 PM on September 10, 2007