Juliette Lewis On Brad Pitt Romance And Drug Addiction: 'I Quit All My Bulls--t At 22'

Turning 40 was a big milestone for Juliette Lewis, who rose to the height of fame at the age of 18 after starring in Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of "Cape Fear," which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

But the '90s weren't just about Lewis' movie roles -- the actress and singer garnered a lot of attention for her high-profile romance with Brad Pitt. Lewis began dating Pitt, who was 10 years her senior, at the age of 17. They were together for three years before splitting in 1993. Following their breakup, Lewis, who once deemed herself a "heavy pothead," got deeper into drugs and began dabbling with painkillers and cocaine. She eventually entered a rehab program and has been sober since she was in her 20s.

In a new interview with People , Lewis admitted that most of the stories surrounding her were "usually about Brad Pitt or drug addiction, which hasn't been me since I was 22."

"I'm 40. I quit all my bullshit at 22. There is growth. Get out of the past," Lewis explained. "I used to be really insular, really introverted," she said. "I couldn't articulate myself."

Lewis, who recently appeared in "August: Osage County" and is promoting two films, "Kelly & Cat" and "Hellion," at SXSW arts festival in Austin, Texas, is trying not to let the past get the best of her. She's focused on work and is gearing up to release her fifth album.

"I took five years off of movies, just making music and touring," she said. "I am mid-life, and this is a new chapter for me."