Oscar winner Marlee Matlin was in rehab when she learned she had been nominated for an Academy Award.

The deaf actress checked into the Betty Ford Clinic in California, seeking help for a drug problem that was spiraling out of control - and it was while she was getting the help she needed that she was officially invited to the Oscars - as a nominee.

The Children of A Lesser God star recalls the moment she found out she'd be among the Oscar hopefuls in her new book I'll Scream Later and she tells news show Access Hollywood, "Of all places to be nominated, I was in the Betty Ford Clinic. I got a phone call and it was Jack, my interpreter, telling me that I was nominated."

Her 26 days in rehab set her up for a healthier life, even though most of her friends never thought she had much of a drug problem in the first place.

She recalls they tried to talk her out of a trip to the famous rehab facility - but she knew she had to go: "I could never stop thinking about drugs. If I didn't have a joint that day... I wouldn't be a happy person, if I didn't have my coke I wouldn't be a happy person. Nothing made me happy except the drugs. That's how bad it was. I could have easily smoked 20 joints a day."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)