Nic Sheff

Nic Sheff’s heartbreaking and inspiring struggle with substance abuse disorder is the story of Beautiful Boy, a major motion picture starring Timothée Chalamet as Nic and Steve Carell as his father, David. The film, which earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Chalamet, is based on Nic’s New York Times bestselling memoir, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, and David’s bestseller of the same title. Sharing an unglamorized, authentic, and heart-touching story of substance abuse and recovery that is deeply rooted in mental illness, Nic has been recognized as “a life-changing speaker.” His deeply engaging talks put a compelling human face on our nation’s substance abuse epidemic, encouraging those who struggle to embrace help and bringing hope to all who are touched by it.

Sober since 2011, Nic has continued to write and travel the country speaking about substance abuse, mental health, bipolar disorder, and recovery. His talks cover areas ranging from prevention and talking effectively to teens to using prayer and meditation to quiet the unquiet mind. Nic is also the author of four books on these subjects: High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction, and Schizo, his critically acclaimed novel about a teen’s downward spiral into mental illness. Nic drew upon his own history of self-harm and attempted suicide as a writer for Netflix’s controversial series 13 Reasons Why and upon his experiences in rehab as a writer for ABC Family/Freeform’s series Recovery Road. Nic was also a writer on AMC's crime drama The Killing and has written several features and developed TV series with Warner Brothers, USA, Amazon, and Paramount Television. He has also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross on CNN with Sanjay Gupta, and ABC with Diane Sawyer.

A passionate voice and inspiring speaker, Nic hopes that the intense notoriety and media attention being paid to the film version of Beautiful Boy will elevate awareness, create more empathy for those who struggle with substance abuse disorder, and inspire more to recognize danger signs and get help. A self-identified “bipolar addict,” he also seeks to raise awareness of dual diagnosis and the frequent interconnection between substance abuse and types of frequently untreated mental illness. Honest, authentic, and able to connect with a wide range of audiences, Nic tells the story behind what promises to be the most important film about substance abuse and its impact in decades, making a struggle that has touched millions of families deeply personal, urgent, and unforgettable.