Peter Iliff Reveals How Pacific Palisades Shaped His Sobriety Journey Through Wildfire Devastation

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Our hearts are broken.

Multiple friends and acquaintances, including many who lived nearby or were part of my social circle in Hollywood and the recovery community I’ve been a part of for over two decades in Los Angeles’s Palisades and Malibu, have sadly lost their homes due to the destructive wildfires. While my wife Ruthanne and I are fortunate to be safe, we previously lived in the Palisades for 28 years before moving to a different home near downtown Culver City. Despite our relocation, we still hold fond memories of our time there.

My fondness for Pali dates back to when I was eight, living in Philadelphia. After my father passed away, my mother would send me to spend a month each summer with my Uncle Bob in the Palisades. He resided on Grenola Street and had a porch that offered a view of the ocean where he’d listen to Vin Scully broadcasting Los Angeles Dodger games. This was an era when ordinary working-class people could afford living in the Palisades. I hold dear a photo my Uncle Bob took, capturing me at nine years old climbing the sign on Iliff Street, a street that saw all but one house go up in flames.

Following my graduation from the University of California Santa Barbara, I resided in a friend’s design studio apartment situated near Cross Creek, Malibu. Upon completing five years of university studies, my initial job was working as a dishwasher at the Malibu Chart House. Subsequently, I advanced to the position of busboy at Alice’s on Malibu Pier. At that time, my girlfriend resided in a house spanning the walk bridge north of Gladstones, and we would traverse the beach to reach her place.

Following the sale of Point Break and the influx of Hollywood funds, Ruthanne and I constructed our ideal home on Hightree Road, Rustic Canyon. This was the residence where we welcomed our kids, Dane and Bella, and where we lived as I embarked on my journey towards sobriety. In 2003, I entered Promises Treatment Center, later known as Cliffside Malibu. Three beautiful recovery homes stand adjacent to each other at the summit of Red Rock, with Hunter Biden residing nearby. For almost a decade, we flourished with weekly alumni meetings on a beach house along Pacific Coast Highway. Regrettably, all of it was destroyed in a fire.

After the summer following a distressing event that stirred unwanted emotions within me, I slipped back into old habits. My partner, Ruthanne, asked me to leave, but I was resolute in my efforts to rebuild our family. I found lodging in a former seaside home of Greta Garbo, La Esperanza, conveniently situated near the Reel Inn, another casualty of the wildfires. Closeby, there were gatherings for support and sobriety. I followed through with my recovery plan, often referred to as “doing the deal.” The grandeur of nature, particularly the ocean and sky, served as a symbol of my higher power. One sleepless night on the beach, while working on my 7th step, I humbly knelt and begged God to eliminate all my character flaws, a lengthy list indeed. However, I never resorted to alcohol or drugs again. Ruthanne and I have now been married for 35 years, though there’s an asterisk for those five months when she asked me to leave.

2008 saw a concurrent market collapse and WGA Strike, resulting in me losing two well-paid studio writing positions. This compelled us to sell our Rustic Canyon residence and relocate to a charming Via de la Paz property, boasting a pool and panoramic ocean vistas. As the children had grown, they were now able to independently explore Palisades Village. I took on coaching roles for baseball and basketball at the Recreation Center. When my mother grew older, we opted for an assisted living facility near Gelson’s, allowing me daily visits. Eventually, we found ourselves in a four-story home atop Iliff Street, transitioning to Goucher, where we enjoyed breathtaking vistas. We maintained our fitness by scaling those stairs and walking our dogs up the hills towards the water tower. I also frequently cycled the hill from the beach regularly.

Throughout this period, I consistently abstained from alcohol while regularly attending 12-step meetings in the Palisades and Malibu. The Women’s Club in Palisades, near Gelson’s in Pali, was a common spot for me. It’s where I encountered Matthew Perry, a frequent face in Westside recovery before his passing, whom I had often seen before in recovery circles. There was a daily meeting that ran long-term at 7:15 a.m., located above a bank (later moved to Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village). The well-known Saturday men’s gathering, known as Bread & Roses, has been held for many years at Community United Methodist Church on Via de la Paz. The church also accommodated a Monday night writers’ meeting. Another popular choice was the Friday night meeting at Palisades Lutheran Church. I cherished the Saturday morning meetings at Gladstones restaurant on PCH. Meetings were also held at Theatre Palisades, opposite Palisades High School. Unfortunately, all of these sites and recovery hubs are no longer in existence.

Amidst a world filled with sorrow and destruction, witnessing a cherished community vanish marks my first personal encounter. It serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerability that life and our treasured possessions possess. Our children, Dane and Bella, are grieving deeply over the loss of the town they once called home. Memories of my early sobriety, forging friendships while walking together, sharing meals and laughter at Café Viva following gatherings, now feel like a distant past. We’re left in anticipation as we seek to relocate our meetings, such as Bread & Roses. Rest assured, they will continue. Our priority is to support and aid all those who have lost their homes. I hope that those who are afflicted find the strength to transform into their best selves, as we strive to help one another navigate through this hardship. If my sobriety has taught me anything, it is this: We shall rise above and recover.

W. Peter Iliff is a seasoned screenwriter and producer in Hollywood, known for films such as Point Break, Patriot Games, and Varsity Blues, among others. He’s currently overseeing the production of upcoming movies like Renny Harlin’s Deep Water and Claudio Fah’s Turbulence. In his free time, Iliff can often be found on the local music scene as Naughty Pete, performing self-penned tracks centered around themes like misbehavior, sobriety, and avoiding mischief.

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2025-01-16 03:25