Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has opened up on his battles with addiction and fighting his inner demons in a new access-all-areas documentary made by David Beckham’s film company.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything follows this flawed genius of a sportsman as he tries to win a record-equalling seventh World Championship title at the Crucible last year.
O’Sullivan, 47, battled addiction to drink and drugs, as well as depression, early on in what has become a long and distinguished career.
In the trailer, he is seen saying: ‘My addictions are good in many ways because it drives me on – but it needs to be managed.
‘People could see that I was imploding. I wasn’t very good at having this stuff locked inside me.
Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan has opened up on his battles with addiction and mental demons in a new documentary about his extraordinary career
The Edge of Everything, which will air on Amazon Prime Video next month, charts O’Sullivan’s bid to win a record-equalling seventh World Snooker Championship title
The documentary was made by David Beckham’s production company Studio 99
‘I never want to go to those dark places, but sometimes you have to.’
His wife Laila says: ‘There is just so much self-criticism involved and that is just soul-destroying.’
‘The Rocket’ allowed the cameras to follow him everywhere during his bid to equal Stephen Hendry’s record of seven modern era Snooker World Championship titles.
This included affixing a microphone to his waistcoat during matches to capture his monologues under pressure.
The documentary, which will air on Amazon Prime Video next month, was made by Studio 99, the production company owned by England and Manchester United legend Beckham.
Their other work includes the recent Beckham Netflix documentary and the Paramount+ series Fever Pitch: The Battle for the Premier League.
O’Sullivan’s documentary features interviews with his close friends including artist Damien Hirst and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, as well as snooker legends Hendry and Jimmy White.
Using never-before-seen family footage, it charts his rise to snooker stardom from precocious teenager through struggles with mental health problems, to the accomplished and adored player he is today.
The trailer for the documentary features O’Sullivan questioning whether he has it within him to win a seventh world title ahead of the 2022 tournament at The Crucible
O’Sullivan granted access-all-areas to the camera crews as he went for glory at the Crucible
Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, a close friend of O’Sullivan, features in the documentary
The filmmakers received their dream finale when O’Sullivan beat Judd Trump 18-13 to win his seventh world crown.
O’Sullivan said: ‘My highs and lows have been well-documented by the media but I felt like now was the right time to do something more definitive – something that I can look back and reflect on as I contemplate retirement.
‘Going into my 7th World Championship I wasn’t sure I had it in me but allowing the cameras in ended up driving me on in many ways and gave me a different perspective.’
Director Sam Blair said: ‘Throughout the making of this film, Ronnie allowed his charisma, complexities and contradictions appear naturally – he was profoundly himself, raw and unfiltered, and that made the often awkward and complicated situation of making a film simple for me.
‘My job, as I explained to Ronnie, was to do justice to his story and his experience, and to do that we had to find ways for the audience to grasp the full bandwidth of his experience – from rapture to meltdown.
Artist Damien Hirst, another good friend, also features in the film, released in November
O’Sullivan has managed to get his inner demons under control as his career has progressed
‘I see the film as a collaboration with Ronnie to achieve that aim, and I think its power is that we get to see that full range unfold in the present tense.
‘It is a film about a great artist at work, but also about a person struggling with themselves and the factors in their life that are out of their control.’
Nicola Howson for Studio 99 said: ‘Ronnie is a complex genius who defied convention and captured the hearts and admiration of snooker fans over many years.
‘His story is quite simply remarkable and will have deep resonance with audiences. We’re grateful to Ronnie and Sam for creating this unflinchingly honest and raw account of what it takes to be a champion.’
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything is available exclusively in cinemas across UK & Ireland on November 21 and launches on Prime Video on November 23. Theatrical release includes LIVE Q&A featuring Ronnie and very special guests.
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