Actor Tom Holland said he has been sober for 16 months.
Holland, 26, shared the new with Entertainment Weekly while discussing how working on the psychological thriller "The Crowded Room" made him reflect on the way he views his mental health.
Holland plays the role of Danny Sullivan in the Apple TV+ production, which is based on the 1981 book "The Minds of Billy Milligan," according to the Independent, which noted that Milligan was arrested in the 1970s for raping three women at the Ohio State University. He pleaded insanity.
Holland told Entertainment Weekly that the "mental aspect of playing Sullivan "really beat me up," adding that it took him "a long time" to recover.
"I was seeing myself in him, but in my personal life, I remember having a bit of a meltdown at home and thinking, like, 'I'm going to shave my head. I need to shave my head, because I need to get rid of this character,'" Holland said.
"And, obviously, we were mid-shooting, so I decided not to. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced before."
Holland also said that "learning about mental health" while working on “The Crowded Room" "has been so informative to my own life." Interacting with psychiatrists to better understand his character has helped him in "recognizing triggers" and "things that stress me out," like social media.
Holland announced in August that he was taking a break from social media to focus on his mental health. In a video posted on Instagram, the actor said he found social media apps were "detrimental."
"I have taken a break from social media for my mental health because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming," he told his followers. "I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it's very detrimental to my mental state. So, I decided to take a step back and delete the app."
Holland used the post as an opportunity to speak out about mental health and spotlight the U.K.-based teenage mental health charity Stem4. Holland supports the charity through his organization, The Brothers Trust.
"There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn't something that we should be ashamed of, but it is something that is much easier said than done," Holland said. "So hopefully these apps can be your first step towards being happier and healthier."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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