Jonah Hill will not promote any of his upcoming projects because he plans to focus on his mental health and anxiety, the actor said in an open letter obtained by “TODAY.”
Hill last appeared on screen in the Oscar-nominated sci-fi film “Don’t Look Up,” which was released in December.
In his statement, Hill said he recently finished directing his second film, “Stutz,” a documentary about him, his therapist, and mental health.
“The whole purpose of making this film is to bring therapy and the tools I have learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film,” he wrote. “Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the realization that I have experienced anxiety attacks for nearly 20 years, exacerbated by media appearances and public events.”
While he is “grateful” that “Stutz” is set to premiere at a film festival this fall, he said he will not be promoting the documentary or any of his other upcoming films.
One of these is his romantic Netflix comedy ‘You People’, which he co-wrote with Kenya Barris. Hill stars in the film alongside Eddie Murphy, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny. It is expected to be released later this year.
He said not promoting his projects is an “important step to protect himself”.
“If I made myself sicker by going out and promoting it, I wouldn’t be true to myself or to the movie,” he said.
Hill said he acknowledges being “one of the privileged few” who can take time off from work to prioritize their mental health.
He added: “I will not lose my job while working on my anxiety. With this letter and with ‘Stutz’ I hope to make it more normal for people to talk and act about this. So that they can take steps to feel better and so that the people in their lives can better understand their problems.”
At the end of his statement, Hill thanked his staff and fans for their understanding and support.