Being a Hollywood actor may seem like a dream to many, as the fame, recognition, and wealth that we associate with movie stars is something very few people would turn down. However, not everything is as easy as it seems, since the more fame and prestige they gain, they usually get roles that, although they are very interesting, are also very complicated.
Sometimes, these roles leave their mark on the actors, either because of the hard preparation, physical or psychological, that they require or simply because of how complicated it is to “get into” another person’s head every day for months. Therefore, many of them have had to seek psychological help to get rid of a character they played and return to live a normal routine. Here are 10 celebrities who went to the psychologist after filming a movie or series.
1.Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga admitted that towards the end of the filming of House of Gucci, hired a psychiatric nurse, as it was difficult to separate herself from her character.
I had a psychiatric nurse with me towards the end of filming. I felt I had to do it. I felt it was safer for me.
2. Adrien Brody
Adrien’s performance on the tape The pianist it was so good that it earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. However, getting into this character was not easy for the actor, who went to the extreme of spending long periods of extreme diet to understand a little better the physical suffering of his character. In addition, he sold his apartment and his car and lived in complete isolation for a while. All this caused him a strong depression and he required professional help to get out of it.
The paper completely consumed me. A year later, he was still severely depressed. I forced myself to go through many transitions, both physical and emotional. I shot the movie when I was 27 and it was like a jolt into adulthood. I realized the good fortune that has befallen me and that I had always taken for granted.
3.Dakota Johnson
In 2018, a remake from the 1977 cult classic Suspiria. Dakota Johnson played Suzy, the main character, and although she says that the experience “wasn’t traumatic”, she did admit that she had to go to therapy when filming ended.
I am a very empathetic person and absorb a lot of people’s feelings. I am not ashamed of this. Sometimes, when I work on a project that touches on dark subjects, he can “stay” with me, so I like to go to therapy to talk about it with someone; it’s a really nice way to move on and not get bogged down in the projects I finish.
4. Bill Skarsgard
Bill Skarsgård played the terrifying clown Pennywise in Item (2017) and the sequel It: Chapter Two (2019). This was a difficult role for Bill, who claims he had nightmares even months after filming wrapped.
We had already finished filming, I was back at my house and I started having very strange and vivid dreams about Pennywise. Every night, he visited me.
5. Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Adjani starred in the 1981 German horror-drama film Possession. The French actress said in an interview that playing this character, who was constantly in a state of hysteria, left her with strong psychological consequences and that she had to go to therapy for several years to treat the post-traumatic stress that the filming caused her.
6. Alex Wolff
hereditary is a 2017 horror film. Alex Wolff played one of the leads and has spoken about the effects such a demanding role had on his mental health as the film touches on strong themes.
I’ll tell you that movie did as much damage to me as a movie can do. The experience affected me a lot.
7.Jane Fonda
This case is a bit different from the others that have been shown, since Jane did not require help due to having played some dark and tormented character. On the contrary, what happened to the actress was that after so many years away from the show, her role in grace and frankie It caused him a lot of anxiety.
Let me tell you something. At the end of the first season of ‘Grace and Frankie,’ I went back to therapy and hired an acting coach. If you are not well with yourself, acting is very difficult, since the creative energy does not flow well.
8.Heath Ledger
Many actors have played the Joker, but according to audiences and critics, Heath’s performance remains one of the best. And it is not for less, since the actor took himself to unimaginable limits to understand the twisted mind of the villain of Gotham City. His insomnia problems worsened and he isolated himself from his family and friends for long periods of time. Because of this, he required psychological help.
I stayed in a hotel in London for a month. I completely shut myself down, started a journal and experimented with different voices for the character.
9. The cast of Suicide Squad
suicide squad is a 2016 film that is part of the DC Extended Universe. The film’s director, David Ayer, demanded very intense emotions from the actors and wanted realism in every shot. When you’re playing villains like the ones in the film, it can get a bit heavy. However, Ayer was aware of this and hired a therapist for the actors.
We have a therapist on set, just in case someone starts to go off the rails and feel like a real villain. He’s a friend of Yesterday’s, and he makes sure we all stay focused.
10. Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan played Erik Killmonger, the antagonist of Black Panther. His performance was so applauded that Killmonger is considered one of the best villains in Marvel movies, but playing him was not easy for Michael, who admitted that he had to start going to a therapist when filming ended, since the actor was isolated to prepare for the character.
I spent a lot of time alone, isolating myself. I assumed that Erik was a lonely person, since he had no one to talk to about this place called Wakanda, which, according to everyone else, did not exist.