But blackouts, bad hangovers and even an embarrassing incident with Helen Clark wasn't enough to stop him drinking - until two years ago.
He's now made a documentary called PROOF about kicking the habit, New Zealand's drinking culture and the influence of the alcohol industry.
Guyon Espiner joined Simon Barnett & James Daniels to talk about his journey.
LISTEN ABOVE
PROOF is available on TVNZ on Demand.
For help with alcohol call 0800 787 797 www.alcoholdrughelp.org.nz
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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