He’s known for his iconic roles and the kind of off-screen charisma and sartorial style that most men would do well to study and take notes on, but Chris Evans is also an actor who recognises the importance of his platform. Not one to shy away from the important or tough subjects, the actor is surprisingly candid, prone to refreshingly honest revelations and giving his followers an insight into his actual life, not just the highlight reel one presents on social media. Not surprisingly, when it comes to his mental health struggles, Evans has been open about his relationship with anxiety.
In a recent Twitter post, the actor shared: “Nothing like anxiety for no reason whatsoever. Looking like a 4pm bedtime for me. Happy Friday!”
Fans were quick to praise the 40-year-old for his honesty with one commenting, “The way it strangely makes me feel seen that Chris Evans is being this relatable. Sleep easy tonight, king.” Another commented their support, “The way I’ll never stop loving you for talking about mental health…thank you.”
Nothing like anxiety for no reason whatsoever. Looking like a 4pm bedtime for me. Happy Friday! ????????
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 15, 2021
Evans has previously discussed his mental health struggles. In an interview, he explained: “[Captain America] was a big commitment. If the movie hits, your life noticeably changes. If someone in your family is in the hospital, and you’re going in and out and people are taking pictures of you and you complain, it’s too bad. You made this bed, sleep in it.” He added, “I do struggle, I get anxiety about certain things and press, things like that.”
Here in Australia, one in five Aussies aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. The most common are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder. Almost half Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, but as the Black Dog Institute reports, most don’t access any treatment. And given that the global pandemic has exacerbated the struggle for many, there’s never been a bigger need to check in on friends, family and those in your life, as well as be open and honest with yourself, knowing that help is there should you need it.
Evans isn’t the first Hollywood star to open up about his ongoing mental health struggles. Ryan Reynolds has also used his platform to shine a light on the importance of discussing mental health and removing the stigma that surrounds such conversations, particularly for men. As Reynolds shared with his followers, “One of the reasons I’m posting this so late is I over schedule myself and important things slip. And one of the reasons I over schedule myself is my lifelong pal, anxiety. I know I’m not alone and more importantly, to all those like me who over schedule, overthink, overwork, over-worry and over-everything else, please know you’re not alone.”
If pure anxiety was an Olympic sport, I'd feel really fucking anxious about all the gold medals I just won like a BOSS.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 17, 2016
Reynolds added, “We don’t talk enough about mental health and don’t do enough to destigmatise talking about it. But, as with this post, better late than never I hope…”
Thanks to Reynolds and Evans alike, it’s hoped that such conversations are normalised and more of us can feel comfortable not only with checking in on our mates and asking about their mental health, but also speaking freely about our own and the possible struggles we’re dealing with.
If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, you can call Lifeline’s 24 hour support service on 13 11 14.
