The list of health issues that Richard Burton suffered from was enough to make Charles II look like Cal Ripken Jr. According to The Famous People, Burton suffered from arthritis, dermatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and kidney disease — problems that were linked to his alcoholism.
As The Washington Post reports, when Burton turned 50-years-old, he said, “I rather like my reputation, actually. That of a spoiled genius from the Welsh gutter, a drunk, a womanizer; it’s rather an attractive image.” It was this lifestyle that made director Michael Radford hesitant to cast him in “1984” (via Den of Geek). After numerous hospitalizations from his alcohol addiction, many close to him said that he had overcome his vice to the bottle, and during the filming of “1984,” Radford said Burton mostly drank Diet Cokes while filming. His brother and journalist, Graham Jenkins, said the last time he saw his brother was two weeks prior to his death, and that he was “in tremendous form,” (via The Washington Post).
