Jesse Eisenberg's underlying fear left him 'hysterically crying' during his childhood
Jesse Eisenberg is opening up about the anxiety that has followed him since childhood.
From Jesse Eisenberg’s Oscar-nominated performance in The Social Network to his critically praised role in The Squid and The Whale, the 39-year-old actor has mesmerized movie fans numerous times. While his portrayal of complex characters with difficult personality traits has garnered praise from fans, the actor shares that his real-life battle with mental health has been very different.
Jesse Eisenberg’s underlying fear has plagued him for decades
Jesse Eisenberg has been candid about his struggle with anxiety that began in his childhood. Speaking of how chronic his anxiety was, Eisenberg explained on Advertising Week fireside chat with Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, that he was always “prepared.”
“I kept one tissue for crying and one for bleeding. I was prepared for battle, but nothing ever happened, which was almost worse,” Eisenberg revealed sharing one incident in particular where “he ran out of middle school hysterically crying” due to his anxiety.
Eisenberg’s mental health battle did not stop him from giving his all to acting as he called the experience ‘cathartic.’ Speaking of the difference between fiction and real, he added: “Acting is a very visceral experience. It is a cathartic way to have an emotional experience that is safe and contextualized, [It’s] different from real-life experiences.”
Speaking of how often he gets anxiety, Eisenberg joked: “Just in the morning, afternoon, and evening.”
Destigmatizing something “that is incorrectly stigmatized”
The last decade has been crucial for mental health awareness as more and more public discussions have seen celebrities coming forward and talking more about their mental health that are innately humane.
From Kristen Stewart, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez to Lady Gaga, Adele, and more, the biggest A-list celebrities are opening up about anxiety. It helps promote awareness, and Eisenberg feels that public discussions help to “destigmatize something that is incorrectly stigmatized.”
Looking back at his difficult childhood, Eisenberg has also added that the visibility and talks of anxiety were important. “If 12-year-old me was able to see something like this, it would show me that life ebbs and flows,” he added.
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