Jonah Hill may have directed and starred in the upcoming film Stutz, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see him promoting it.
Stutz is a documentary that explores mental health alongside Hill and his therapist. Coincidentally, Hill’s mental health is the reasoning behind his decision to forgo promotional media appearances for the show.
“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,” he explained in an open letter obtained by Variety.
The actor, 38, went on to say that he’s “so grateful” the film is premiering this fall and he “can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those struggling.”
Further explaining his choice to not do press, Hill added that he’s taking this step to “protect [himself.]”
“If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film,” he said. “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,” the Superbad star continued. “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,” Hill concluded.
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