Jonah Hill Decides To Stop Promoting Films As Media Appearances ‘Exacerbated’ His Anxiety Attacks
Jonah Hill recently opened up about his mental health. He said he will no longer promote his films, and skip press tours and public events for upcoming projects as doing so in the past “exacerbated” his anxiety attacks.
In an open letter to fans, the 38-year-old actor began by noting he has finished his sophomore directorial stint. He worked on a documentary about himself and his therapist, exploring mental health in general, a material called “Stutz.”
Hill stated that the entire purpose of making it is “to give therapy and the tools [he has] learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film.”
People quoted the piece, with the “Wolf of Wall Street” actor writing, “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.”
Elsewhere in the open letter, Jonah Hill noted that the public would not see him “out there promoting [‘Stutz’], or any of [his] upcoming films,” adding that he is taking this “important step to protect himself.”
The “21 Jump Street” actor explained that if he “made [himself] sicker by going out there and promoting it, [he] would not be acting true to [himself] or to the film.”
In the same material, which Deadline first published on Wednesday, Jonah Hill stated that he understands he is part of “the privileged few who can afford to take time off” and “won’t lose [his] job while working on [his] anxiety.”
Even so, he said he hopes, with “Stutz,” alongside his open letter, “to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff,” allowing them to “take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly.”
In the end, Hill shared he “hopes the work will speak for itself.” He also made it known that he is “grateful” to his collaborations and business partners and everyone reading his letter for their “understanding and support.”
Aside from his mental health, Jonah Hill has also taken steps for his physical health in the last few months.
Earlier in June, the “Superbad” star shared with his fans and followers that he was quitting smoking cigarettes “for good.”
Taking a photo of himself smiling, with People describing him looking “excited,” to Instagram, Hill captioned the post, writing, “Quitting smoking is the hardest s**t ever. I’ve struggled with it for a while. I’m finally quitting for good and am on day 3.”
In the same post, the “Don’t Look Up” star also encouraged fans who were trying to quit to “jump on with [him]” and start with it.