Jonah Hill praised for prioritizing mental health over work: 'I take this step to protect myself'

Being a celebrity has its own pros and cons but sometimes, the cons weigh in more. Always being present and living in front of the limelight where a thousand cameras flash at them every day can potentially be the root cause of mental health risks. Some of them can be called silent sufferers since they find it quite hard to be openly tearful about the state of their mental health due to the overly high expectations which loom over them. But Jonah Hill has vocalized his thoughts and has decided to step down from all his press interview appearances to promote his movies. Hill's co-stars from You People are fully supporting his decision as it is taking a toll on his mental health. 

“Life is tough for all of us,” Hill's co-star Lauren London spoke to Variety at the You People premiere at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. “For us to pretend that we’re stronger than others and we can handle more, that’s unfair. I hold space for Jonah Hill. That’s my homeboy. I love him and whatever he needs to do for his soul, I am there for it.” Hill and London star as Ezra and Amira in the movie, which they also co-wrote with Kenya Barris, the director. The romantic comedy follows the story of an unusual couple as their relationship develops and he struggles to gain her Muslim parents' approval.

In August, Hill announced in a statement that he would be taking a hiatus from press campaigns for his future films. This announcement came prior to the premiere of Stutz, a documentary in which Hill and his therapist address his mental health problems publicly. “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,” said Hill. “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,” Hill continued. “If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film.”

Louis-Dreyfus chimed in support of Hill saying, “You have to protect yourself and do what feels right to you,” adding that nobody should give publicity commitments “too much import.” She also said, “I want to get out there and support the project because we worked really hard on this, but at the end of the day I’m going to go home and be with my family.” David Duchovny echoed in adding, “It’s Hill’s prerogative. I’d love not to do press, too. It’s very exteriorizing. You come out of yourself. It’s very unreal, but it’s just part of the game.” The "Wolf of Wall Street" actor also wrote an open letter to fans that talked about his crusade through many health issues, reports Deadline. 

“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," he added.