He is the man who suffered from bullying, lost his sister to a tragic murder, was nearly destroyed by addiction, and yet became one of Hollywood’s greatest stars.

Here is how his life fits each detail:

1. Bullies tried to break him

Grammer experienced bullying and family turmoil as a child—his parents divorced and his father was absent. But the worst was yet to come.

2. Tragedy: the loss of his sister

In 1975, when he was 20 years old, his younger sister Karen, aged 18, was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a serial killer. Most painfully, Kelsey was the one who identified his sister’s body at the morgue and had to break the news to their mother. He later said about this event: “That nearly destroyed me completely.”

3. Alcohol nearly destroyed him