Actress Rene Russo has revealed she has struggled with bipolar since childhood.
While making an appearance on the Queen Latifah Show on Monday the 60-year-old actress – who is currently on the publicity trail for her new movie Nightcrawler – said she takes medication for bipolar disorder, a condition that causes dramatic shifts in mood, energy and activity levels.
The light-hearted talk show took an unexpectedly serious turn when host, Queen Latifah asked Russo and her Nightcrawler co-star Jake Gyllenhaal to reveal something they’ve had to “push through” in their lives.
Russo surprised everyone present when she opened up about the mental illness which has plagued her since she was a child.
“My mom said my whole childhood … was stop and go,” the actress explained.
When asked what prompted her to start taking medication Russo said “I literally crashed, hit a wall and couldn’t get out of bed. I thought it was depression, but if you take antidepressants it speeds you up more.”
“I haven’t shared this,” Russo explained. “I have friends who don’t want to go on medication, and they are suffering.”
The revelation stunned her co-star Gyllenhaal who responded to her confession by saying, “Well, she’s got me beat.”
Russo apologetically quipped, “I didn’t expect to say this… Sorry you have to follow that.”
But the Thomas Crown Affair star explained that seeking medical treatment has helped her with managing her illness.
“For all the people that are having trouble and feel bad about taking medication, I have to say … It’s OK,” said Russo. “It’s not easy, but you will make it through.”
“Thank you so much for sharing that,” said Latifah. “That can really help some people.”
Actress Rene Russo surprised everyone at a taping of The Queen Latifah Show when she opened up about the mental illness which has plagued her since she was a child.
Carrie Fisher revealed she had been suffering from bipolar since her early 20s but only accepted she had to manage her illness once she became a mother. “Prior to having a child, I really did feel, it’s my business if I wanted to stop my medications,” she told bp Magazine. “I no longer feel that’s so.”
In 2011 Catherine Zeta-Jones announced she was receiving treatment in a rehab facility for bipolar II disorder, which is characterised be hypomania and alternating depression. “After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay,” her publicist said in a statement. The actress is now managing her illness and is back with her husband, Michael Douglas.
In a 2008 documentary, Acting Class of 1977, Mel Gibson said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “I had really good highs but some very low lows. I found out recently I’m manic depressive.”
Despite his cheery comedic nature, Ben Stiller told Hollywood.com that he too has dark days, including the times he famously lost his temper on the set of cult film, Zoolander. “I have not been an easygoing guy,” the actor once said. “I think it’s called bipolar manic depression. I’ve got a rich history of that in my family. I’m not proud of the fact that I lost my temper. Sometimes you just f*ck up,” Stiller said.
Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor talked openly with Oprah Winfrey about her battle with bipolar in 2007. “Every pore of you is crying and you don’t even understand why or what,” she said. “I actually kind of died and got born again as a result of taking the meds and having a chance to, you know, build a life.”
Singer Demi Lovato has been open about her struggles with mental illness, including anorexia, bulimia and bipolar. “Looking back it makes sense. There were times when I was so manic, I was writing seven songs in one night and I’d be up until 5:30 in the morning,” Lovato told People.
Australian actress Jessica Marais, pictured here with daughter Scout, told The Weekly earlier this year she has struggled with bipolar disorder. “I just think it’s important to talk about depression. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And the more we talk about it as a community, the more we remove the stigma.”
