Actor Nick Nolte has entered a substance abuse centre, after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Mr Nolte's publicist Paul Bloch said the star had admitted himself into the same Connecticut hospital which recently treated singers Billy Joel and Diana Ross.

"Nick Nolte voluntarily entered Silver Hill Hospital to receive advice and counsel that he feels he needs at this time," said Mr Bloch.

"He will be there as long as he feels is necessary."

Nolte was seen slumped in the back of the police car

Mr Nolte, 61, went into the centre on 14 September just a few days after he was arrested and booked for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in California.

California police said there was a "strong reason to believe" that Nolte had taken drugs before the arrest.

The star of films such as Cape Fear and The Prince of Tides was "drooling" and "completely out of it" when he was arrested, police said.

Mr Nolte was pulled over and given a blood test after being seen swerving across the road near his home in Malibu.

He was taken into custody after failing to complete a breath test and later released on $2,500 (�1,600) bail.

Mr Nolte battled with a drink problem for many years, but is said to have become a health and fitness buff after giving up alcohol in the 1990s.

"I could drink in the morning, I could drink every day... I was a functioning drunk," he told an interviewer in 2001.

Oscar nomination

The Nebraska-born actor found fame on the hit TV series Rich Man Poor Man in the 1970s, which landed him an Emmy nomination.

He received Oscar nominations for 1991's The Prince Of Tides, and for Affliction in 1999.

His other film appearances include 48 Hours and its sequel, Another 48 Hours, Cape Fear, Simpatico and The Thin Red Line.

He will be seen next year in Hulk, based on The Incredible Hulk character, and he recently attended the Toronto Film Festival to promote his latest film, The Good Thief.