Even Superheroes Struggle With Anxiety

Chris Evans is well known for his role as Steve Rogers, or Captain America. On the big screen, he is seen flying around, fighting crime, and saving the world. However, few know that Chris Evans almost turned down this role due to the anxiety he had been experiencing at the time.

Struggling with Anxiety

According to the article by Garvey (2020), Evans had started to experience anxiety in 2007, as Human Torch in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was released. In 2010, Evans started to have panic attacks for the first time while filming the movie, Puncture. By the time that he was asked to try out, and was subsequently offered, the role of Captain America in 2011, Evans was worn down and in a difficult mental space. He declined the offers. However, through his work in therapy and conversations with colleague Robert Downey Jr., Evans eventually accepted the role and felt that it was the best decision he ever made. See the original article by Garvey (2020) for more information.

The Takeaway?

Many times our favorite celebrities may seem immune to mental health concerns. We see mental health battles come out at times, generally when there are major breakdowns, surprising stays in psychiatric hospitals or rehabilitation centers, or death. However, many celebrities appear to have it all together, leading us to think that they have a picture-perfect life. When these struggles are unveiled, many are quick to think, how can they be struggling when they have everything they could ever want? Mental disorders do not think like this. No matter the social status, amount of wealth, number of luxury cars or private mansions, mental health issues can creep up on anyone.

Sharing is Helpful

Openly sharing struggles and internal battles is powerful. When celebrities like Chris Evans are able to speak on their mental health concerns, it helps to build awareness of the prevalence of mental disorders. Moreover, it helps others to see that they are not the only ones struggling with mental health concerns. Knowing that your favorite superhero struggled the same way that you do helps to build a sense of commonality--that we can all be affected, and that we are all in it together.