Nick Nolte talks 2002 arrest photo: 'I looked like an asylum inmate out for a lark'

Actor Nick Nolte recalls his 2002 arrest after being pulled over for driving under the influence on the Pacific Coast Highway near his Malibu home. (Reuters)

Nearly 16 years after his infamous arrest, Nick Nolte is ready to set the record straight with his new book, “Rebel.”

In his memoir, the 76-year-old actor chronicles his life in Hollywood — how he went from People’s Sexiest Man Alive to mug shot-famous following his 2002 arrest.

“GHB was one substance I ran into that I shouldn’t have messed with,” Nolte told People in a new interview.

On Sept. 11, 2002, the "Prince of Tides" star made headlines after being arrested for reckless driving along the Pacific Coast Highway.

“I took GHB prior to going to the gym for a long workout,” he wrote in his book, according to People. “A strong dose made me feel great, yet I knew I was repeating with GHB the addictive cycle I’d been in before.”

Prior to his arrest, Nolte had driven himself to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at a church near his house, but after arriving at the church, the effects of the drugs began to kick in and Nolte decided that he was in no shape to attend the meeting. So he drove off.

“I was a mess and driving on the Pacific Coast Highway,” he explained in his memoir. “I’m told six drivers called 911 to report a big sedan weaving on the wrong side of the road.”

Nolte arrives at the 84th annual Academy Awards in February, 2012. (AP)

Nolte was later arrested and taken to a nearby hospital for blood tests, where a local police officer asked the actor if he could take a quick photo of him.

“I said, ‘Come on, you don’t really want to ask that, do you?'” Nolte told GQ in a 2011 issue.

But the actor agreed to let the officer take the now infamous Polaroid if he promised to share any potential profits from the photo with Nolte.

In the book, the actor recalled the attention he received after the photo from his arrest got out.

“It went viral — my hair wild, my expression unsettling, looking like an asylum inmate out for a lark. In 1992, People magazine had named me the Sexiest Man Alive, and now, 10 years later, I looked to all the world like a madman.”

The 2002 arrest turned out to be a wake-up call for the three-time Oscar-nominated actor. Once Nolte was released on bail, the actor admitted himself into a renowned psychiatric institution known for its addiction programs.

“It took thirty days to wean myself off GHB and then I flew home. I was a renewed and fortunate man,” he said.

Today, Nolte said he leads a more tranquil life sans alcohol or drugs and is currently raising his 10-year-old daughter with his wife, Clytie Lane. The actor admitted that he was tired of his old lifestyle and was ready to make a change.

“I was just worn out,” Nolte told People. “Just worn out.”