Andy Dick Reveals 'DWTS' Breakdown

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Andy Dick has said that his well-documented life struggles have been extinguished as he approaches a stint on Dancing with the Stars. However, he revealed to ET that it hasn't been easy to keep up with his Dancing rehearsals, and recounted a recent breakdown.

The comedian and actor, who has had difficulties with substance abuse and other vices in the past, said that he became upset when he and his dancing partner, Sharna Burgess, weren't making any progress in rehearsals.


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"I had a breakdown. I just hit a wall," Dick revealed. "I cried forever. You're supposed to cry in Episode 4 or 5...but we worked through it. We actually had to have a lunch outside of here and just work through some stuff. [It was] better than therapy. [Sharna] is my new therapist."

Dick divulged that the breakdown followed a bout of frustration in rehearsals during which he began to associate the blame for his lack of progression on his partner. After realizing that the source of his halted progression was internal, the 47-year-old entertainer said he reconstructed his approach.

"I had to change my attitude and my concentration level 'cause when I would get frustrated, I would shut down entirely," he analyzed. "...That's where I would hit the bottle in life in the old days. ...This is better than rehab. This is like thirteen rehabs condensed into one."


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Burgess, who is joining Dancing as a professional for the first time for its sixteenth season, stated that she was glad that her celebrity partner got the breakdown out of the way before the show gets underway.

"I listened. ...It was more than necessary for us to go through that to move forward," said Burgess, who has been a member of Dancing's troupe for the past three seasons. "It was part of Andy admitting that he's afraid of this. I think through admitting to that and getting to the source of the frustration...we got past it."

Although Dick and his partner have hurdled their first major obstacle, the mental and physical wear of Dancing presents another potential impediment for him. While he assures that the stresses of competing on the show won't lead him to relapse, Dick has set the first dance as a benchmark for how the season will go.


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Regardless of his performance on the show, Dick revealed that he has already had a gratifying experience even though the show has yet to air.

"This is no joke: I have grown more in the last two weeks than I have, probably, in the past five years...as a mind, body, and soul," he said.

Watch Andy Dick's debut on Dancing with the Stars Monday, March 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC.