Kate Winslet revealed the intense challenges she faced with her mental health following her role in the HBO Max series Mare of Easttown, which aired in 2021. The acclaimed actress discussed how playing the troubled detective Mare Sheehan, combined with the prolonged filming schedule and COVID-19 delays, led her to seek professional help to recover from the emotional toll.
The Emotional Toll of Playing Mare Sheehan
The character Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown required Winslet to delve deeply into a complex narrative involving loss, grief, and trauma. Reflecting on this experience during her January 25 appearance on the podcast Lessons From Our Mothers, Winslet described the toll acting in such a demanding role took on her.
When you play a really difficult part—I think of Mare of Easttown, for example, which flattened me, my god—you do have to kind of come out the other side,
Kate explained.
I call it re-entry. Re-entry into your own life, going back into your friendships, reintegrating into the rhythm of family again. Exiting a family, leaving people behind, letting a character go.
The process of “re-entry” into her normal life was complicated by the length of time she inhabited this role, which extended well beyond initial plans due to the pandemic.
Extended Shoot and the Impact of COVID-19
Initially scheduled as a six-month shoot, Mare of Easttown’s production was interrupted by COVID-19 after five months. The shutdown stretched the production timeline, doubling the remaining shoot to ten weeks. This disruption meant Winslet stayed in the emotionally heavy role for over a year, a factor she credits for her mental health struggles during and after filming.
It was meant to be a six-month shoot. COVID happened after the five months that we had been shooting, and everything got pushed, and when we came back, our five remaining weeks turned into 10,
she revealed.
By the end of the whole thing, I’d been playing that character for over a year. And I really honestly went a bit mad.
The actress described this period as “quite weird” and candidly admitted it was the first time she needed “proper help” to reconnect with herself following such an intense professional and psychological experience.
It’s the only time in my life that I actually had to get some proper help, to come back to myself.
Supporting the Next Generation: Helping Her Son Through Similar Struggles
Kate Winslet’s personal growth and healing have also enabled her to guide others, including her own family. Her 22-year-old son, Joe Anders, recently underwent a similar mental challenge related to his acting work on the Apple TV+ series Cape Fear. With her experience fresh, Winslet has been able to provide meaningful support during Joe’s “re-entry” phase.
He’s a few months out the other side of that, and he’s still in the experience of the re-entry,
she said, emphasizing the intense motherly instinct that resurfaces during such times.
I’m able to actively support my son in this moment in his life, when actually, the mothering does kick in again on a very cellular level.
Besides Joe, Winslet is also mother to Mia Threapleton, 25, from her marriage to Jim Threapleton, and Bear Winslet, 11, with her current husband Edward Abel Smith.
Other Celebrities Candid About Their Mental Health Battles
Winslet is among many stars who have openly spoken about their mental health struggles, shedding light on the ongoing journey many face in this arena. Below are some notable experiences shared by fellow artists and public figures.
Gucci Mane’s Fight With Bipolar and Schizophrenia
Rapper Gucci Mane, born Radric Davis, disclosed in his October 2025 memoir Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. His acknowledgment of these conditions followed a mental health episode in 2020, which motivated him to pursue therapy and medication actively.
After that, I was like, ‘Man, I got to really just hold myself accountable and take care of my health,’
he said on The Breakfast Club.
I don’t never want to have an episode again. I’m gonna see a therapist, [even] if I have to take medicine.
His motivation to manage his health grew stronger with the impending birth of his child with wife Keyshia Ka’Oir.
My wife was pregnant with my little boy,
he said.
I don’t want to raise a family and then my mental health [is] gone. What if I have an episode I can’t come back from? So, I just started doing the work and started seeking help.
Penn Badgley’s Battle with Body Dysmorphia
Actor Penn Badgley recounted feelings of body dysmorphia from his youth, intensified by personal circumstances such as his parents’ divorce. In an April 2025 interview with The Guardian, he acknowledged his struggles with self-image and the pressures connected to appearance in the entertainment industry.
I know that I hated my body,
Penn said.
And simply wanted a different one.
He also explained how his desire for conventional beauty tied into a belief that success and value were linked to appearance.
There was just a period where, coming out of depression and isolation, I was jumping wilfully into, but also being thrust into, this world where the more conventionally beautiful I seemed, the more successful I might be, the more value I might have.
Despite these difficulties, Badgley credits his spirituality for helping him endure and grow through his mental health struggles.
That is what allowed me to persevere through the disillusionment, all the things I’d been grappling with,
he reflected.
And then come back to it all, but with hopefully some kind of inner transformation.
Eliza Coupe on Overcoming Food and Body Image Challenges
Eliza Coupe, known for her role on Scrubs, has openly discussed her complicated relationship with food and body image. During a guest spot on The Funny Thing Is podcast, she described her behavior around food as a form of addiction, including tendencies toward bulimia and over-exercising.
Some may call it an eating disorder, I just call it my life,
Coupe admitted.
My drug of choice was always food. I did crazy s–t with it.
Her health journey included drastic lifestyle changes, such as cutting out sugar and alcohol by age 23 and embracing yoga and breathing exercises, which she praised for their positive effects.
When I was 23, I cut all sugar out of my diet, quit drinking, and found yoga and breathing and stretching,
she shared with Bon Appétit in 2017.
That’s the best Ritalin you could give anyone.
Coupe emphasized her ongoing efforts to heal her relationship with food and body image naturally and authentically.
I’m an actress with food issues and body image issues—that’s real. But I’m trying to heal that part of myself and also handle my physical issues naturally by putting the best things into my body.
Candace Cameron Bure on Depression and the Challenge of Speaking Out
The Full House alum reflected on how hard it can be to open up about depression, even to trusted individuals. In her own podcast, she candidly described the internal conflict between feeling weak for struggling and wanting to be strong.
It’s very difficult to speak out about it, even to your most trusted people,
she said.
At least for me, I feel like I should be strong enough to overcome that and then it feels so weak.
Billie Eilish’s Advice on Mental Health and Patience
Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish has discussed how she manages negativity and protects her emotional energy. She urges others to have patience with themselves when dealing with mental health challenges.
When people ask me what I’d say to somebody looking for advice on mental health, the only thing I can say is patience,
she told Vogue.
I had patience with myself. I didn’t take that last step. I waited. Things fade.
Katy Perry’s Reflections on Pandemic-Induced Depression
Katy Perry expressed the difficulty of navigating the pandemic, highlighting how the social isolation often brings waves of depression. She shared her coping mechanism of retreating to the safety of her car as a personal sanctuary.
Sometimes I don’t know what’s worse trying to avoid the virus or the waves of depression that come with this new norm,
Perry posted on Twitter.
There is not really anywhere to go besides my car. So I go to my car a lot. That is my safe space.
Kendall Jenner’s Honesty About Anxiety and Mental Health Awareness
Model Kendall Jenner has used her platform to raise awareness for mental health, including partnering with designer Kenneth Cole and The Mental Health Coalition. She discussed her personal battle with recurring panic attacks on Good Morning America.
Finally kind of got the information that I needed about it,
Jenner recalled.
For me, I have good days and I have some really anxious days, so I’m really off and on,
she added.
What I hope to accomplish is for people to not feel as alone.
Dwayne Johnson’s Message to Men About Opening Up
The actor Dwayne Johnson has openly addressed his struggles with depression and emphasized the importance of men speaking about their mental health, a subject often hindered by societal stigma.
We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up,
he wrote on Twitter.
Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.
Prince Harry Breaks the Silence on Therapy
The Duke of Sussex shared insights from his mental health journey, highlighting how speaking openly about therapy helped him feel part of a larger community. In an interview with The Telegraph, he underscored the relief found in recognizing common struggles.
The experience I have had is that once you start talking about it, you realize that actually you’re part of quite a big club.
Taraji P. Henson Advocates for Therapy and Breaking Stigma
Empire star Taraji P. Henson has been vocal about managing her depression through therapy and founded The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to support African American mental health, aiming to reduce stigma and increase access to care.
I have a therapist that I speak to,
she told Variety.
That’s the only way I can get through it.
Lorde’s Exploration of Mental Health and Identity
Musician Lorde described how she incorporated MDMA and psilocybin therapy into treating PTSD stemming from an eating disorder and stage fright. She also discussed how stopping birth control influenced her perception of gender and femininity.
I was touring without stage fright for the first time,
she explained in Rolling Stone.
There was a hook around my guts and everyone in the room was having the same feeling, [like] there’d been a huge pressure change. It made me realize how much I love and kind of need that very deep, visceral response to feel my music.
I felt like stopping taking my birth control, I had cut some sort of cord between myself and this regulated femininity,
she added.
It sounds crazy, but I felt that all of a sudden, I was off the map of femininity. And I totally believed that that allowed things to open up.
Lili Reinhart’s Message on the Importance of Support
Riverdale actress Lili Reinhart recounted her struggles with severe anxiety and depression beginning in middle school, emphasizing the life-saving impact of family support and therapy.
When I was in middle school, I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression and the help and support I received from my family and a therapist saved my life,
she wrote on Instagram in 2017.
Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know.
Carly Pearce’s Ongoing Battle with Anxiety and OCD
Country singer Carly Pearce shared her long-term experience with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, revealing that her struggles predated her recent heightened awareness during her divorce and the COVID-19 pandemic.
I would have told you three years ago my anxiety started during my divorce in Covid,
she told Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast.
But I’ve had crippling OCD since I was a child.
I got really conditioned over the last 10 years to just zip it up and deal with it, and it just kind of got to a place where a couple years ago I just had to really start back into therapy, start really, like, trying to figure out all of these different things,
Pearce continued.
Like, recognizing OCD was something—no, that didn’t come in 2020, that’s been there since I was 6 or 7.
Kristen Bell’s Coping Strategies for Mental Health
Frozen star Kristen Bell has openly shared her approaches to maintaining mental well-being, including medication, focusing on positive affirmations, and regular physical activity, encouraging others to find what works best for them.
Chrissy Teigen’s Open Discussion of Postpartum Depression
Cookbook author and mother Chrissy Teigen has been transparent about her experience with postpartum depression, an issue many new parents face but often hesitate to discuss. She encouraged openness to reduce isolation and stigma.
It got easier and easier to say it aloud every time,
she wrote in an open letter to Glamour.
I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.
Cara Delevingne’s Journey Through Depression and Self-Acceptance
Model and actress Cara Delevingne has spoken about her teenage struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. She described how she initially depended heavily on external love and validation but eventually learned to find happiness independently.
I relied too much on love, too much on other people to make me happy, and I needed to learn to be happy by myself,
she told The Edit magazine.
So now I can be by myself, I can be happy. It took me a long time.
Ariana Grande’s Support for Seeking Therapy
Singer Ariana Grande encourages fans to pursue help for their mental health challenges, sharing her own experiences to emphasize the life-saving benefits of therapy.
lmaoaoo this is funny as f–k but in all honesty therapy has saved my life so many times.
If you’re afraid to ask for help, don’t be,
she continued.
u don’t have to be in constant pain & u can process trauma. I’ve got a lot of work to do but it’s a start to even be aware that it’s possible.
Demi Lovato’s Transparency About Mental Health and Sobriety
Singer Demi Lovato openly discusses her ongoing journey with addiction, sobriety, and mental health, highlighting the importance of persistence despite setbacks.
A reminder to anyone struggling out there – this life is a journey with tons of ups and downs but you can’t give up.
Zendaya’s Experience with Anxiety Management
Actress Zendaya has addressed her anxiety openly, recalling an early public experience that triggered her struggles and sharing strategies she uses to manage the pressure.
Sometimes you just have to take a step back so things stop stressin’ you.
Selena Gomez on Navigating Mental Health and Medication
Selena Gomez candidly shared her personal highs and lows and how proper medication significantly improved her life during interviews with WSJ Magazine.
My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time.
I found out I do suffer from mental health issues,
she revealed.
I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed.
Lady Gaga’s Advocacy for Openness and Empathy
Lady Gaga has long advocated for breaking the silence around mental health by sharing her own experiences with mental illness and emphasizing how secrecy perpetuates suffering.
I have struggled for a long time, both being public and not public about my mental health issues or my mental illness,
she said at the 2018 Global Changemakers Award.
But, I truly believe that secrets keep you sick.
Kate Winslet’s openness about her own mental health journey following Mare of Easttown contributes to a vital cultural conversation, encouraging others to acknowledge their struggles and seek support. As more public figures break the stigma, it is likely that awareness, dialogue, and resources for mental health will continue to improve, providing hope for individuals facing similar challenges.
Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1059482452819755008
