John Goodman weighed almost 400lbs after replacing his addiction to alcohol with food.

Admitting that his eating habits spiraled out of control even after he managed to give up drinking, the 74-year-old actor, best known for playing Dan Conner in the hit sitcom Roseanne and its spin-off The Conners, opened up about his struggles in an interview with The New Yorker.

John, who quit drinking in 2007, described years of dramatic weight fluctuations before eventually undergoing stomach surgery - a procedure he said resulted in further health complications.

Speaking about his weight, John told The New Yorker: "I'd lose 60 pounds in a summer, gain it all back - 70 pounds, 80 pounds - and that got tiring."

He added: "I took steps so I wouldn't have to do that anymore."

The Hollywood veteran also admitted: "I was almost 400 pounds. I was eating alcoholically after I stopped drinking."

John, whose career has included roles in The Big Lebowski, Monsters, Inc., Argo and 10 Cloverfield Lane, said his decision to stop drinking came after years of struggling with the physical and emotional consequences of alcohol dependency.

He said he eventually "got sick and tired of being sick and tired".

Reflecting on the cycle of drinking and its immediate consequences, John said: "The thing about instant gratification is you don't really care what's going to happen right after it - which always led to bigger hangovers or me getting the shakes, and having to drink to get rid of the shakes, and that vicious cycle."

The actor explained his drinking had become so serious he reached a point where he needed medical intervention.

He said he "had to be hospitalised one way or the other".

John added: "I just was tired of it, and I wanted to stop. I was delaying my maturation by drinking, and I had a lot of catching up to do, just realising how selfish it made me."

The actor also admitted his lifestyle had prevented him from fully engaging with everyday responsibilities, saying he had overlooked "real life" because he "wanted to live in Animal House the whole time".

John subsequently underwent stomach surgery to address his weight, although he said the operation was followed by complications.

He said: "I also turned anaemic and lost a layer of fat under my skin, and I'm cold all the time."

The interview comes amid renewed attention surrounding John's former Roseanne co-star Roseanne Barr, 73, who has revealed he declined an invitation to appear in her planned sitcom MeeMaw.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Roseanne said she had attempted to reconnect with her former colleague through her son.

She revealed: "My son called Goodman and asked him to do a cameo on Meemaw and he declined."

Discussing the breakdown of her relationships with former Roseanne cast mates, she added: "Nobody is more brokenhearted than me. I just choose to remember the fun and the good times."