Oprah Winfrey Interviews Russell Brand Sunday, March 9 on OWN

On Sunday’s series premiere of Oprah Prime, (9pmET/PT on OWN) Oprah Winfrey interviews Russell Brand about his well-publicized battle with addiction and his recovery from drugs and alcohol. This frank one-on-one also discusses how the recent passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman has caused Brand to reflect on his own sobriety.

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Brand has made brave comments before about his addiction and recovery, but an entire hour focused on his journey and struggles should present a lot insight into mindset of an addict. Expect a very intense and honest interview; Oprah Winfrey is gifted in broaching subjects with tact and care, but addiction is neither pretty nor glamorous. Of his addiction, Brand tells Oprah, “ll use anything to stop myself feeling.  And as a little kid I was very lonely, very isolated and confused. And anything that could temporarily relieve that, I was very grateful for.” Brand has been sober for over 11 years and in his 2012 documentary, From Addiction to Recovery, Brand documented his battle with drugs. In the doc, Brand explains that when he was an addict, “I couldn’t get enough drugs — cannabis, booze, speed, acid, coke, crack, smack. I took drugs every single day.” It will intriguing to see Brand, who is known for his off-the-wall personality, speaking about something that is so raw and personal.

Brand hopes to see a change in how addicts and addiction are treated; he believes that addiction is a medical issue, rather than a criminal one and urges a change in the manner addicts are perceived and treated, something he hopes will come from the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman: “As a drug addict, the first thing you have to do is accept you can never use or one day at a time. Don’t drink and take drugs. If anything positive can come out of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, it’s that. That his death doesn’t make sense unless you accept that addiction is an illness.  It doesn’t make sense any other way. Otherwise, oh, why did he do that?”

Oprah Winfrey also uncovers the startling personal stories of a mom of two and a former college athlete who both say they began using heroin following an addiction to prescription pills. They each share the devastating effects of drugs on themselves as well as their family and friends.

The premiere of Oprah Prime on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, marks the series’ name change from Oprah’s Next Chapter.

Image © Harpo,Inc/ George Burns

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