James Rolleston says crash left him 'borderline depressed'

Actor James Rolleston says he's "super lucky" to be alive. Photo / nzherald

James Rolleston has opened up about his road to recovery following a horrific car accident last year that left him in a coma for four weeks.

Speaking on All Talk with Anika Moa, Rolleston said he barely remembered anything from the accident.

"[It felt] like an overnight sleep, I don't remember anything from the accident ... Now I've got a rod in both tibias and a rod in my right femur."

Rolleston said the road to recovery has been challenging. He had to learn to walk, talk and brush his teeth again while at a rehabilitation centre in West Auckland.

He says he's "super lucky" to be alive, and that his time in rehab brought some sobering revelations.

"Being at the rehabilitation centre, because I was there with so many others, it just really hit me. I was really down with my injuries, I just thought, 'my career is gone, my whole life's just gone downhill...' I started getting borderline depressed.

"I went to rehab, and these dudes are similar ages, like 20, 19, and they won't ever live an independent life ever again. That just made me think how lucky I am, because what do I have to worry about?

"It just made me treasure life so much more. Learning to walk or learning to brush my teeth again, I knew how to do that, I knew in my mind. Now I've got it back and now I'm just grabbing everything with both hands."

Watch the full interview below:

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