Content warning- this blog post talks about mental health struggles, which may be distressing or triggering for some people.
May is Mental Health Awareness month here in the US. Mental health is an extremely important topic that doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should. It’s complex, serious, and it affects millions of lives every day. While many like to think that actors have perfect lives because they make so much money and live lavish lifestyles, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the pressures of fame and the need to maintain a perfect image can be a contributing factor to mental illness in Hollywood.
Some of our most beloved celebrities and entertainers have spoken publicly about their struggles to help change that narrative. With the recent passing of country music legend Naomi Judd, and in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’d like to take a moment to highlight some incredible people in the entertainment industry who have been open about their mental health struggles.
Doug Ferrari, aka Dougzilla
Recent research shows that 1.6% of the US population, roughly four million people, has borderline personality disorder. Comedian Doug Ferrari, who also goes by the name Dougzilla, is one of them. He began his career as a stand up comedian in the 1970s, and would later go on to win the San Francisco Comedy Competition in 1984. In the mid 90s his career took a drastic turn, almost permanently ending, and he even found himself homeless for a while.
Doug has spoken openly about his struggles with BPD and generalized anxiety. He said that they interfered with his career, his marriage, and attributed to his homelessness. Now, he’s actively involved with charities that aid the homeless population. He was featured in #BeRobin The Movie, a documentary that Maraget Cho made which was inspired by Robin Willliam’s philanthropic efforts to combat homelessness. Doug had written for and performed with Robin Williams in the past.
Howie Mendel
Comedian, voice actor, game show host, director, producer…Howie Mendel has done it all. Yet one thing he won’t do is shake someone’s hands unless he’s wearing latex gloves, because Howie has a form of OCD that causes fear of germs and contamination. Aside from OCD he has ADHD, and the impulsivity sometimes seen with ADHD is the reason he never finished high school.
Aside from not shaking hands with contestants on Deal or No Deal, Howie’s germ aversions have led to some distressing situations as a host on America’s Got Talent. In one episode, a hypnotist claimed that he could ‘cure’ Howie and hypnotized him to believe that he and the judges were all wearing gloves so Howie would shake their hands. This, of course, wasn’t the case, and it certainly didn’t cure him (since that’s literally impossible). Instead, it led to some severe psychological duress, and he reported feeling “somewhat betrayed” by the other judges.
Howie is one of many creatives and artists with ADHD who has found a way to use it to their advantage. He struggles with scripted content, but he thrives on the movement and spontaneity that comes with game show hosting. “I can live in the moment. It’s like a standup act” he says. Howie is a prominent advocate for bringing awareness to adult ADHD.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Due to his career in wrestling and athletic build, The Rock is essentially the poster child for masculinity. But stereotypical toxic masculinity isn’t compatible with expressing feelings of sadness or emotional pain, which is why he was silent about his struggles with depression for so long. Now, he is very public about life as an actor with depression and has been encouraging others, especially men, to open up and seek help.
In April of 2018 he tweeted “Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone”. Because of his experiences with mental illness, as well as his mother’s, he has made it his mission to encourage people around the world to seek out the help they need.
Hayden Panettiere
In a classic case of art imitating life, Hayden’s character on Nashville had a storyline involving postpartum depression. The storyline was written long before Hayden had her first child in 2014, and began seeking treatment for PPD herself. She attributed the powerful performance she delivered that season to her real life experiences, and strived to send the message that coping with PPD doesn’t make you a bad parent. PPD and a similar condition that follows childbirth, postpartum psychosis (or P3), are in fact very common but even now it’s something that women are discouraged from speaking about.
Hayden has some very strong words for those who think postpartum depression isn’t real, or just a matter of unsettled hormones rather than a serious psychological wellness issue. “…It is one of the most debilitating, scary, guilty feelings that you can ever feel. That a mother would not be able to connect with their child, would not be able to get a grip…for anybody to say that it’s false or created by us, you must have your head examined.”
Gene Tierney
We can’t talk about mental health awareness in Hollywood without talking about Gene Tierney. The actress not only shaped the femme fatale archetype as we know it today, she was one of the pioneers of mental health advocacy among celebrities. Her acting career was soaring in the 1940s, but she began to experience emotional struggles soon after in the mid 1950s. Though she sought help with encouragement from friend Humphrey Boggart, her options at the time were limited and archaic. She ended up going through a series of electric shock therapies which permanently impaired her memory. Her thoughts on the experience reflected the state of mental health care at the time- “It was the most degrading time of my life. I felt like a lab rat.”
It’s unknown exactly what mental health condition Gene had, and people have suspected schizophrenia to depression to bipolar disorder. She became extremely vocal about the dangers associated with shock treatments, an act which was exceptionally bold given the time.
Change Is Possible
Celebrities are not obligated to use their platforms as vehicles of change, and I certainly won’t criticize those who choose to stay private about their medical situation. Thanks to movies like Fatal Attraction and Split, which stigmatize and vilify borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder respectively, we have a very long way to go before more people are comfortable sharing their story. It’s my belief that the activism and honesty demonstrated by the celebrities above, and the countless others who have spoken up about their lives with mental health struggles, will help bring our society even closer to the day where that becomes a reality.
If you felt inspired by these entertainers who used their real life struggles to create art from hardship, remember that your story is just as powerful. We provide a community for creators who are using their voices to change the world – if you’re looking to connect with like-minded creatives, we would love to have you join us!
https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/category/mental-health/