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Christopher Eccleston has opened up about his struggles with anorexia and mental health in a frank new interview.
The former Doctor Who actor, who spent his 52nd birthday in a psychiatric ward following a mental breakdown has spoken of his life-long issues with food and recovery.
With aspirations of looking like his acting heroes, such as Daniel Day-Lewis, the Salford-born thespian admitted to hiding his disordered eating from his family from a young age.
Anorexia, he said, is “like being in hell”.
Acknowledging the pervasiveness of the illness, Eccleston said that it affected him every day.
“Every minute. All you think about is food – the consumption of, the rejection of. You don’t think about anything else,” he told the Guardian
Show all 16 1 /1616 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Stormzy Stormzy told Channel 4 in 2017 that by opening up about his depression he hoped to help others. "I think for them to see I went through it would help," the BRIT-award-winning musician said. "For a long time I used to think that soldiers don’t go through that. You know? Like, strong people in life, the bravest, the most courageous people, they don’t go through that, they just get on with it...and that’s not the case."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Robert Pattinson Twilight star Robert Pattinson told The Telegraph he struggled with depression for a period of time. “'I had a bit of a struggle at first because my life really contracted and I couldn't do a lot of the stuff I used to be able to do." He advised aspiring Hollywood actors to "take care" of your mental health. "If you get as famous as quickly as I did, your personal growth stops suddenly.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Michael Phelps Former American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, experienced periods of depression and suicidal feelings. He told Today in 2018: "After years and years and years of just shoving every negative, bad feeling down to the point where I mean, I just didn't even feel it anymore...and for me, that sent me down a spiral staircase real quick and like I said, I found myself in a spot where I didn't want to be alive anymore."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Zayn Malik Zayn Malik told The Sunday Times Style magazine about suffering with an eating disorder and anxiety. "We’re all human. People are often afraid to admit difficulties, but I don’t believe that there should be a struggle with anything that’s the truth," said the former One Direction singer. "If you were a guy, you used to have to be really masculine, but now expressing emotion is accepted and respected.’
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Will Young Singer Will Young has spoken about his experience with suicidal thoughts. "There's a part of my brain that is telling me that you're about to die, [so] you either shut down, freeze or you run. The only thing I can do is go to bed." He said that without the help of his therapist he probably would have been successful in his suicide attempts. “I have so many mental thoughts in my head: ‘You’re never going to sing again’. ‘That was a s*** dance move.’ ‘They’re hating you.’”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Professor Green After his father took his own life in 2008, rapper Professor Green started speaking openly about his mental health problems and the pressure on men to be strong. “We have to figure out a way that men can talk to one another and figure out how to make themselves feel better,” he told theiNews . Although he is pleased to "start conversations" Green warns how becoming a mental health spokesperson can be high pressure. “It’s difficult because sometimes you’re having a great day, then someone comes up and tells you something absolutely horrific; I’m not a psychologist and it’s really hard."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Donald Glover American actor, comedian, writer and musician Donald Glover, who performs under the name Childish Gambino told Vice in 2013 he'd been through periods of depression following the end of his tour. "I was just super depressed. I mean, I tried to kill myself. I was really fucked up after that [tour], because I had this girl that I thought I was going to marry and we broke up. I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing. I wasn’t living up to my standard, I was living up to other people’s standards, and I just said ‘I don’t see the point'.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Shawn Mendes Shawn Mendes told People magazine that talking about his mental health problems was the "scariest" thing he's ever done. "I still struggle with it but just remember every day that everyone deals with some level of anxiety or pressure; we're all in it together." He told The Sun in 2018: "All pain is temporary, and the thing is with anxiety, and why it's such a hard thing for people who don't have it to understand."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jim Carrey Comedian and actor Jim Carrey told iNews that he had struggled with depression throughout his life. “At this point, I don’t have depression. I had that for years, but now, when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz has spoken openly about his bipolar disorder diagnosis and other mental health problems. He said that it took him to reach breaking point before asking for help. "My best piece of advice, more than anything, is that there's other people out there that feel [suicidal], or are feeling that right at that time," he said. "Maybe your favorite actor, or a guy in a band, or whoever, there are people who feel that exact same thing and have made it through that. I would say more than anything, you're not alone in it."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jon Hamm "I struggled with chronic depression," Mad Men star Jon Hamm told The Guardian in 2010. "I did do therapy and antidepressants for a brief period, which helped me." Hamm said medication helped change his "brain chemistry" enough so he could get out of bed. "I don't want to sleep until four in the afternoon. I want to get up and go do my shit and go to work," he says.
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Rob Delaney Catastrophe actor and comedian Rob Delaney, who lost his son Henry to brain cancer in January 2018, said he has long struggled with depression and encouraged others in the same position to seek help. "Asking for help is strong because it leads directly to staying alive," he says. "Not asking for help is as fear-based a decision as a human being can make and can lead you swiftly in a bad direction. It's not exaggerating to say that path can end in death."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dwayne Johnson has spoken on numerous occasions about mental health. On ITV's Lorraine Kelly he said: "Depression doesn't discriminate, and I thought that was an important part of the narrative if I was going to share a little bit of my story of the past. Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living or where you come from, it doesn't discriminate, we all kind of go through it. If I could share a little bit of it and if I could help somebody, I'm happy to do it."
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Ryan Reynolds "I have anxiety, I've always had anxiety," the Deadpool actor told the New York Times in 2018. "Both in the lighthearted ‘I’m anxious about this’ kind of thing, and I’ve been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun.” Reynolds said he went through a period of partying to try and make himself "vanish" in some way and would frequently suffer with anxiety-related insomnia.
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Bruce Springsteen Bruce 'The Boss' Springsteen told Esquire magazine in 2018 that although he wouldn't describe himself as being mentally unwell, he has "come close enough" and takes medication to cope. "I’m on a variety of medications that keep me on an even keel; otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and the wheels can come off a little bit.”
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16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Prince Harry Prince Harry has been a vocal supporter of mental health campaigns like 'Time To Talk'. He also has spoken openly about his own problems following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He told The Telegraph : “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle." Harry said there was "huge merit" in talking about your issues and keeping quiet only makes things worse.
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On the publication of his partially autobiographical book, I Love the Bones of You , the Shallow Grave star was reported to suffer a mental breakdown so intense that the Priory psychiatrist Justin Haslam described it as one of the most severe cases of clinical depression he had seen.
His situation was so bad that the 55-year-old admits to contemplating suicide.
“I did have what people might call intrusive thoughts,” he said, before acknowledging that his children and “cowardice” prevented him from taking things further.
The actor’s hospitalisation followed the collapse of his relationship with his wife in early 2016.
He believes that his breakdown changed his life, however.
“It changed my view of myself and existence. I really felt that I was going to die,” he said.
Eccleston was honest about the stigma that mental health still carries, particularly for men.
“I’m male and northern and from a working-class background, so you were not supposed to speak about your feelings,” he said.
“I still carry all the baggage about masculinity and toughness, and I was ashamed about my depression and eating disorder.”
Despite his experience, the actor states that he has become “much easier” on himself since his breakdown.
“I still don’t watch my performances,” he said, “because I can be very critical of my physical appearance, which I have to be very careful about – but I am easier on myself.”
If you, or someone you know, would like further information on the help available to those affected by eating disorders, Beat offers support. Beat is the UK's leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders through helplines, online support and information.
The Beat Adult Helpline is open to anyone over 18. Parents, teachers or any concerned adults can call the adult helpline for free on 0808 801 0677, or email help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
The Beat Youthline is also open to anyone under 18; 0808 801 0711. You can also call a dedicated student line on 0808 801 0811.
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