Kevin Kennedy thinks he may not be here today if \'Coronation Street\' bosses hadn\'t sent him to rehab in 1998.
The cobbles legend - who played Curly Watts from 1983 to 2003 - is grateful to the ITV soap for seeking help for him as he battled booze, and admits he was "merely existing" at the time rather than "living".
He said: "Twenty-one years ago life was very different for me.
"I was totally dependant on alcohol. My whole life revolved around where the next drink was coming from.
"Often I was drinking in secret. I wasn\'t living I was merely existing, drink to drink.
"It was only when \'Coronation Street\' got involved, when they packed me off to rehab that I started on the long hard to recovery. If they hadn\'t there\'s a chance I wouldn\'t be here today."
The 58-year-old star has now been sober for 21 years, but counts himself "very lucky" thanks to Corrie\'s actions.
He said: "I am very lucky in many ways because back in those days, an employer\'s standard course of action for those with addiction and mental health issues, was to get rid of them.
"They could have simply fired me and left me to my own devices, which undoubtedly would have ended very, very badly."
And Kevin would love to reprise his role as Curly one day.
He added to The Sun newspaper: "I\'d love to go back. I am always being linked with a return and of course if they asked me I\'d be there."
Kevin recently admitted his \'Corrie\' character would have "some tales to tell" upon his cobbles comeback.
He said: "I would say I\'d love to. Curly was such a multi-faceted character, I think he had lots of stories to tell then and I think he would be even more interesting if he came back with some tales to tell."
