Episode 31: From Addiction to Awakening - Tony Denison's Journey

Guest Bio

Tony Denison (born Anthony John Sarrero on September 20, 1949) is an American actor known for his compelling portrayals of complex characters, often detectives or tough guys. Born in Harlem and raised in Queens to Sicilian parents, he started acting later in life after holding various jobs, including running an illegal gambling club. He gained prominence with roles in "Crime Story" (1986-1988) as Ray Luca, "The Closer" (2005-2012) as Detective Andy Flynn, and its spin-off "Major Crimes" (2012-2018). His film credits include "Getting Gotti" (1994) and others like "Little Vegas" (1990). With over 32 years of sobriety, Tony draws from personal struggles to inspire others, emphasizing spirituality, humility, and love as a verb in his life and work.

Setting

Recorded remotely with Smoke in the spiritually charged landscape of Sedona, Arizona, featuring red rock views that evoke reflection and transformation. The conversation flows naturally, blending personal stories with deep philosophical insights in a relaxed, introspective atmosphere.

Summary

In this candid episode, Smoke chats with actor Tony Denison about his remarkable journey from addiction and hardship to sobriety, success, and spiritual awakening. Tony shares his early acting roles in "Crime Story" and "Getting Gotti," family connections, and collaborations like scripting "Last Stop Coney Island" with Jack Maxwell. He opens up about his rock-bottom moments—running an illegal gambling club, heavy cocaine and alcohol use, and two pivotal sobriety turning points in 1986 and 1993. A divine voice during a full-moon breakdown in 1993 marked his final commitment to recovery. They explore spirituality, consciousness scales, the Bible's metaphors, and universal truths across religions, emphasizing love as a verb, heroism in recovery, and humility. Tony reflects on missing the mark ("sin" as an archery term) and finding inner peace beyond material success.

Learnings

• Sobriety as Heroism: Recovery is a daily heroic act—start by moving toward the unknown "light" when life feels unbearable, drawing on past lessons but recreating heroism anew each day.
• Love as a Verb: True love requires action; self-love comes first to enable helping others, like putting on your oxygen mask before assisting those around you.
• Humility in Success: Never let fame inflate the ego—stay teachable, grounded in blue-collar values, and remember that "right action needs no defense."
• Spiritual Knowing Over Belief: Attainment shifts from belief to knowing, like riding a bike; faith, concentrated like a mustard seed, moves "mountains" (troubles) without needing instant proof.
• Clearing Inner Debris: Address trauma and shadows to access the subconscious mind's power—our awake mind is just 5%, but healing removes "fans" of anxiety, eliminating crutches like alcohol.

Universal Truths

• Everyone is on a hero's journey: Life's travails build character; recovery heroes face the unknown daily, standing for something to avoid falling for everything.
• God/Source is unconditional love: An energy field without gender or form, accessed through self-love and transmitted as actions toward others—humans become medicine for one another.
• Sin is ignorance or missing the mark: Not inherent evil, but unawareness; all religions' core is love as a verb, with humans distorting teachings through power and misinterpretation.
• Humility unlocks higher consciousness: The more you learn, the more you realize there's always more above—stay open, as knowing (not just believing) brings true peace.
• Divinity is within all: We are God manifest; recognize it in yourself to see it in others—transmission from enlightened beings elevates those ready, as with witnesses to the resurrection.

Examples

• Moon Howl Awakening: In 1993, Tony hit bottom, howling at a full moon in despair; a voice said "It's over. You're done. You need help," leading to lasting sobriety without relapse.
• Gambling Club Downfall: Tony ran an illegal blackjack club in New York, escalating cocaine and scotch addiction; it cost his marriage temporarily but taught him about hitting financial and emotional bottoms.
• Bible Insights as Verbs: Tony read the Bible 1.5 times, realizing "love one another" as the 11th commandment—a verb for action, not just feeling—shifting his focus from material stuff to self-respect.
• Heroic Daily Renewal: Tony views sobriety as 32 years of "consecutive yesterdays," borrowing lessons but recreating heroism daily, inspired by Joseph Campbell's "hero with a thousand faces."
• Family Values Grounding: Raised by Sicilian parents who equated his acting success to winning the lottery, Tony maintained humility, valuing dignity as "all you got" amid career ups and downs.

Smoke Trail Threads

• Echoes Episode 29 on health and consciousness, linking Tony's sobriety to clearing inner "fans" of anxiety and elevating awareness through spiritual work.
• Builds on Episode 30 (Seth Streeter) by exploring head-to-heart transitions, ego integration, and heroism in midlife shifts from addiction to purpose.
• Connects to Episode 28 (Dr. Jere Rivera-Dugenio) on energy fields, viewing God/Source as an unconditional love field that transmits healing.
• Ties to The Smoke Trail’s Guide to Raising Consciousness for Leaders sections on emotional processing and mindset shifts, using recovery as a model for resilience and self-love.
• References solo questions from Episodes 1-15 on forgiveness and resilience, as Tony's story illustrates turning rock bottoms into awakenings.