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The last time most Americans saw Nick Nolte was last September, when the mug shot from his arrest for drunk driving was splashed across the media.

But today Nolte is sober, happy and eager to talk about his new film, Neil Jordan’s “The Good Thief.” He is up-front about his arrest.

“You’ve seen my picture ... there’s no hiding there!” he chuckled.

In “The Good Thief,” inspired by Jean Pierre Melville’s film “Bob Le Flambeur,” Nolte plays Bob Montagnet, an aging thief and heroin addict living in southern France. After losing all his money at the races, Bob forms a motley crew to perform one last heist at a Monte Carlo casino. It’s a role that gives Nolte room to express and channel his personal life.

“I’m attracted to films that deal with what my psyche is going through,” he said.

Unlike the character Bob, Nolte says that he has never used heroin, but his personal struggle with drugs and alcohol helped him feel connected to his character.

“It’s something you deal with; it’s like having a disease,” he says of alcoholism.

“You deal with it and you take care of it and you keep it under control,” he added.

Director Jordan is quick to reaffirm the fact that Nolte, as an actor, can transcend whatever drama is going on in his real life.

“He’s a really hardworking actor,” Jordan said. “He came totally prepared.”

Nolte says he has grown tired of doing big-budget studio features. He also recently starred in “Northfork,” an independent film featured at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

“The largest studios have such obligations that they compromise their scripts,” he said.

Although he prefers smaller, character-driven films, Nolte will be seen in this summer’s much anticipated “The Hulk,” playing the title character’s father. However, he does not see this as just a comic book movie. Nolte views the relationship between father and son as a deep, tormented one, on the level of a Greek tragedy.

Nolte gravitates toward deep and tormented characters. Even in movies like “48 Hours,” which could have been just another silly buddy comedy, Nolte was able to bring a nuanced intensity to the screen. In “The Good Thief,” his character is on the other side of the law, but his dedication to his performance isn’t afflicted.

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