Entertainment
Jonah Hill will no longer promote his movies to protect mental health after ‘exacerbating’ anxiety attacks-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro
The actor announced his decision in an open letter.
Jonah Hill is scaling back his public appearances to prioritise his mental health (Picture: Corbis via Getty Images)
Jonah Hill has made the decision to stop promoting his upcoming movies after years of battling anxiety.
The Hollywood star, best known for his comedic roles in films such as Superbad and 21 Jump Street, shared an open letter explaining his decision to step back from public-facing appearances in order to protect his mental health.
Hill, 38, is set to release his new documentary, Stutz, which follows his ‘journey of self-discovery’ and visits with therapist Phil Stutz – who was recommended to him by Oscar-winning actor Joquin Phoenix – to explore mental health challenges.
In a statement, the actor explained: ‘The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film.
‘The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film.
‘Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events.’
Jonah last did the press tour rounds in December 2021, accompanied by girlfriend Sarah Brady (Picture: Getty Images for Netflix)
Hill explained that he has battled anxiety attacks for the past 20 years (Picture: Getty Images)
Hill added that he’s ‘grateful’ that Stutz will receive its world premiere at various film festivals this autumn, and hopes that it will ‘help those struggling’.
‘However, you won’t see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself,’ he then revealed.
‘If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film.’
Hill most recently starred in Don’t Look Up alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep (Picture: AP)
The Wolf of Wall Street actor continued: ‘I usually cringe at letters or statements like this but I understand that I am of the privileged few who can afford to take time off.
‘I won’t lose my job while working on my anxiety.
‘With this letter and with Stutz, I’m hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff. So they can take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly.
‘I hope the work will speak for itself and I’m grateful to my collaborators, my business partners and to all reading this for your understanding and support.’
The actor last participated in a press tour last December to support the release of his Netflix movie, Don’t Look Up, which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence.
Hill isn’t the only Hollywood star to take a break from the spotlight as last week, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland announced that he was stepping back from social media to prioritise his mental health after ‘spiralling’ over negative comments about himself.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Kid Cudi says he suffered a stroke while in rehab and spent months in recovery
Entertainment – MetroRead More
