Jackson White opens up about his battle with sobriety and childhood fear

Jackson White has shared a poignant reflection on his path to sobriety, tracing his struggles back to a childhood defined by "fear" and "inconsistency."

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast on 18 February, the 29-year-old Tell Me Lies star explored the complex dynamics of being raised by divorced parents who both battled addiction.

While he inherited a strong work ethic and musical passion from his late father, Jack White, he also inherited a "skewed perspective" on substance use, admitting they began drinking together when he was just twelve.

The actor confessed that he spent years "on the defence," weaponising his resentment. "You're like, 'Oh, this person f---ed me up so I'm gonna f--- you up.' Hurt people hurt people," he explained.

However, the trajectory of his life shifted when he witnessed his mother, Sons of Anarchy actress Katey Sagal, transform her own life.

"She got her s--- together a long time ago, and I got to see that you can get your s--- together. So I had a really great example in my mom," he said.

For White, the root of the issue was always a deep-seated feeling of inadequacy. He told host Alex Cooper: "And then anger is a symptom and drinking can be a symptom... but it starts with that [thought of] 'I'm not enough.'"

Since embracing sobriety, White feels his entire world has opened up, moving away from a life "running on f---ing Doritos and fear" to one filled with genuine connection and love.