What Happened to Desi Arnaz Jr. After He Put His Acting Career on Hold?

Desi Jr. became famous at age 14 as part of a pop rock band, “Dino, Desi, and Billy,” that released the track “I’m a Fool.” He got into acting by co-starring alongside his older sister, Lucie Arnaz, in “Here’s Lucy” from 1968 until 1974. In 1970, he got into film acting by featuring in “Red Sky at Morning.”

His role earned him a Golden Globe Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, and he also starred in “Billy Two Hats.” By age 29, things were quite difficult for Desi Jr. with him describing himself as “dangerously close to the terminal stage of (substance) abuse.”

He felt empty inside and tried self-medicating with alcohol and abusing substances. Lucille’s son confessed his distress saying, “I was destroying myself,” and added, “I got tired of being me.” His substance abuse affected his parents badly too.