Brian Wilson sat down during the SXSW festival to talk about his new biopic, Love & Mercy directed by Bill Pohlad, and starring John Cusack as Wilson.

The film chronicles the life of the Beach Boys frontman, who endured a mental breakdown while working on the band's classic Smile album in 1967.

In the film, Paul Dano Prisoners, There Will Be Blood, plays Wilson during his formative years, while Cusack plays him in his older years.

Wilson said he was worried that "I wasn' strong enough to handle where the movie was coming from . . . I was scared as hell to see myself as a drug addict." He added that the process wound up being "exhilarating."

Love & Mercy lands in theaters on June 5.