Zachary Levy has a memoir slated for June 28, titled Radical love: learning to accept yourself and others. In that, Shaza! The franchise star reveals that his journey to a place where he could love and fully accept himself was difficult because he struggled with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem throughout his life as he was raised in difficult and difficult conditions. The abusive family is filled with high expectations.
The 41-year-old actor says he couldn’t fully identify what problems he had until a dramatic downward spiral led to a mental illness at age 37, a situation so urgent that he sought treatment three weeks after overcoming it. With suicidal thoughts. Prior to the publication of Harper Horizon, Levy teamed up with veteran presenter and journalist Elizabeth Vargas. The importance of the subject A podcast for the Ending Affiliate Partnership to discuss all of the above in a heartfelt and unflinching interview that premieres June 28.
Levy, who is known for working on other high-profile projects like Chuck, Tangled, Amazing Mrs. Meisel, American Underdog s Arabic (And the future Shaza! wrath of the gods) He also touched on the misconception that wealthy and/or public figures are free from such struggles, as he was affected by the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Robin Williams, why he delayed their release. radical love And the rituals you perform to keep yourself in a healthy place.
In the opening moments of the podcast, Vargas, a man who has spoken openly about fighting drug abuse and anxiety (and finding a cure), as narrated in his book. between breaths – Praises Levy’s book as “amazing” and “incredibly honest” for the way it describes mental health issues.
“I’ve been trying these things for most of my life. “Until I was 37, about five years ago, I didn’t realize I was struggling with these issues and had a complete mental disorder,” Levy explained before revealing that her struggle started in her youth, growing up in a difficult family. . “Most of my life I grew up in a family where my stepfather was a perfectionist at the highest level, his margin was so high it was impossible to reach, and then my mother, who was a foreigner. So I didn’t have an incredibly high bar. He had an impossible goal as he moved. Anyone who hangs out with the people around me, if I came home and my mom was in a good mood, I could say, “Look, I didn’t do well on that test at school,” and she would. , ‘Oh, don’t worry about it. There will be another test and we can work on it no matter what, but if he was in a bad mood it was the end of the world. I was embarrassed for the family. I mean, it was a lot of vitriol, a lot of screaming. ”
As he aged, Levy, like many in his position, has treated his problems with a combination of substances and addictions. “I was running away from a lot of other things, whether it was sex, drugs, alcohol or anything that distracted me to ease the pain that I was going through my whole life,” she explained. The irony is that alcohol can give you temporary relief, but today that anxiety is multiplied tenfold. So you run to get more and it happens in this vicious cycle.”
Levy’s career also influenced how he would defeat himself. At one point, he believed that moving to Austin and building a movie studio would be his life’s purpose. “My career was at a place where I felt like, despite having accomplished so much so far, I was still there and, to be honest, I still feel that way. I feel like I’m looking out. “I never felt part of this group of cool kids,” he said, adding that those feelings could be considered childish “backgammon”. “A child who was often abused. “I think it took me to Hollywood in my career and once again proved me wrong when you tell yourself that when you don’t get a job, you won’t be hired to do that movie or show. This level of director or producer or actor or whatever.”
Vargas asks Levy to describe in detail the panic attack that eventually led to treatment, saying he moved to Austin and found it difficult to do routine activities like packing boxes and going into a restaurant. A feeling of despair mixed with self-loathing and panic created an emotional scene.
“I walked for probably 10 minutes, I didn’t know where I was eating, because I didn’t know where the right place to eat was, instead of saying ‘Zack, go eat’. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you go to a pizzeria, a Chinese one or whatever. Go get some food. “If you’re hungry, go get some food,” he continued. “I got in my truck and I remember it well, I was holding the steering wheel and shaking from side to side, like it was trying to destroy myself because of what was going on, and I was crying. . Just cry. I say, “God help me.”
He later recounts how he got into the ambulance room because of his suicidal thoughts. “I had very active thoughts about ending my life,” he said. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve had them. I’ve been to dark places in my life before, but I realized I had people around me in those moments. I acted foolish, I mean I think I made the right decision to move to Austin. I don’t think I did it right. I couldn’t have guessed that I was running so far, but I left here and there was no one. It had no auxiliary structure. So at this particular moment, I’m here in this beautiful city, but mostly alone, and the darkness is still around. Lies whispered in my ear and one failure I felt was enough to be me: “Zack, you don’t think you’re going to fix this.”
On the advice of a “dear friend”, he received treatment in a psychiatric ward and spent three weeks in “a life-changing and life-saving intensive care unit”.
During the interview, he also spoke about how the suicides of Bourdain, Williams and Kate Spade affected him. Of Williams, Levy said: “Robin, he was my hero. His talent, his heart, how he loved people, how he loved the homeless, how he cared for them, he was a very, truly, deeply compassionate person who really cared about other people and still was. Tortured in their own minds. I think maybe that’s why he felt so compelled to bring joy to the world. I felt he was very, very close. ”
When he died, “very, very, very, very, very upset, because I felt that if he couldn’t do it, I don’t know how he would lead this life if he could somehow find a way not to.” they fall into these areas of depression and anxiety.” .
Although Levy has worked through her issues, she still lives with them and can manage a healthy routine focused on good diet, exercise, and sleep habits. “Prayer and meditation are very important, which are also a bit synonymous, I think, to a certain extent. Sometimes my prayer is meditation. Sometimes I just stand there and let God take the time. I’m not really saying anything like I’m just passing the time. I think one of the most important, at least for me, is capturing my thoughts. Our minds are so strong, but they cling so easily, so easily, if we don’t really say, “Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I do it again, I start badmouthing myself again. I start to be harsh or critical of myself. I’m starting to judge where I am in my life.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
