Machiavelli changed my life, says Lohan
Updated on 10 July 2007
Lindsay Lohan has turned around her life with the help of an unusual self-help book - Machiavelli's The Prince.
The actress has said that the work by the renaissance statesman, which was a favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte and Benito Mussolini, is constantly with her.
"I was going out with someone and they said I should read Machiavelli and I was like, 'Nah', and then I was, 'Ok, I'll read it', and now it is always with me," she explained.
Lohan first went to a Californian clinic in January after admitting to alcohol problems.
In May, the actress crashed her Mercedes in Beverly Hills and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs, prompting a second spell in rehab.
The 21-year-old actress claims she also relies on meditation and "serenity prayers" to help her through troubled times and says she still has issues, including a phobia of sleeping alone.
She told a glossy magazine: "It changed my life. I didn't have a good grip on it and I needed to get my s*** together. I was going out too much and I had too much pressure on my shoulders. I was not that happy and I needed to go to that place to be happy.
"There were therapy classes to talk about relationships and family issues and to hear other people's stories too. They teach you to give to other people and I walked away with the benefit of that.
"If I get stressed out I say a serenity prayer. I meditate too."
Despite her stints in rehab, Lohan insisted she will not give up her social life, insisting it does not conflict with her acting career.
"Look, I want to win Oscars. I want Academy Awards. I am serious about what I do and what I want to achieve. I detest being known as a party girl. Even that term 'partying' is such an annoyance," she said.
"I'm a 21-year-old actress who loves to act and enjoys spending time with her friends because I am a very social person. Why am I chastised for that? I've been a dancer all my life and it doesn't kill you to go out and dance." Elsewhere in the interview, Lindsay revealed she is terrified of sleeping alone.
Lohan's latest project is the thriller I Know Who Killed Me, in which she plays a stripper and had to film her first sex scene.
The star said: "I told my mom about it and she screamed! I was actually so nervous but then I was fine. It's weird."
© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
