The pursuit of Hollywood success has led many performers to experience a crisis serious enough that they sought professional help to preserve and strengthen their mental health. More and more, actors are opening up about how therapy allowed them to handle some terrifying moments in their careers.
Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the villainous Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther was so arresting, some critics felt it overshadowed Chadwick Boseman’s lead role as King T’Challa of Wakanda, better known as the Black Panther. Jordan dove deep to portray Killmonger, T’Challa’s militant, long-lost cousin, but it seems his star turn as the charismatic anti-hero came at a price. Jordan explained in an interview with Bill Simmons that he had never spent as much time inhabiting a character who was, quote, “that dark, that lonely, that painful.”
The actor found it hard to let those feelings go.
Psychotherapist Robin Halpern is familiar with this phenomenon, and explained that the intensity of these same roles can lead to difficulty in separating the actor’s feelings form the character. She explained that this is especially difficult when the characters are dealing with something that the actors themselves are sensitive to, with a performance that taps into their own feelings.
When Jordan realized he was still carrying Killmonger’s pain and isolation into his personal life, he sought out professional help, and while he acknowledged the cultural stigma that men in particular face about mental health treatment, he also spoke about how it truly helped him. Keep watching the video to see more actors who’ve shared their struggles with mental health!
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Pain and rage | 0:17
The challenge of Captain America | 2:00
It’s hard to carry on | 3:12
“In his office I finally felt safe.” | 4:45
Therapy is coming | 6:20
Depression in the spotlight | 7:47
Beat up by Hollywood | 9:07