38-year-old Ewan McGregor was, until not long ago, the spitting image of a charming rock star, as he himself admits it in the June issue of Men’s Health (via People magazine). His addictions were his demons and, until he realized that they could as well kill him one day, leaving all his loved ones alone, he did not know what he was living for, the actor says.

McGregor was, as per his own admission, never the man to know when to stop, whether it was about smoking or about drinking. Moreover, he too fell prey to the images glamorizing smoking and alcohol use, until he realized he could be just one step away from losing it all – including his dear wife and children. Now that he has mustered the will and the strength to be able to make his own choice, that of not smoking and not drinking, Ewan is happy to discover that it’s control over one’s actions that makes life such a wonderful experience.

“I wasn’t someone who could smoke or drink in moderation, and I recognized that those things would kill me. I started visualizing the doctor telling me that I had cancer from smoking or that I was extremely ill because of how much I’d been drinking. What kind of regret would I have if I had to tell my children or my wife that I was dying because of something I could have done something about? I didn’t want to be that kind of man.” McGregor admits in his latest interview.

Consequently, he decided to do something about it and change his life for the better in the process. He quit smoking and drinking and, while sticking to his initial decision was a bit hard at first, the actor admits it was worth the effort in the long run. At the same time, he says, he has learned that, in order to do something, you have to take small steps to get there and not once forget the reason why you’re doing it.

“What matters most with any regimen, whether it’s to lose weight or stop drinking or smoking, is your willingness to seek help and your desire to say no more. The voice in your head that says ‘I chose not to’ is what ultimately makes the difference between not changing and making changes that last.” McGregor further explains.

Ewan McGregor can now be seen in “Angels & Demons,” the sequel to the highly successful “The Da Vinci Code,” opposite Tom Hanks. Fans hoping to catch Ewan again in a future followup to the critically acclaimed junky movie “Trainspotting” or even to the color musical “Moulin Rouge” would better not hold their breath, because neither is happening, as the actor revealed a couple of days ago.