Jonah Hill has been gracing our screens for nearly two decades in hilarious comedies and a few serious roles in his career. The actor got his start in the early 2000s with more minor roles in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Evan Almighty, before one of his most well-known parts in Superbad. He would later appear in Get Him to the Greek, Moneyball, 21 Jump Street, The Wolf of Wall Street, and most recently, Don’t Look Up.

Hill received Oscar nominations for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor for his characters in Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street. Now, the actor revealed to Deadline he would be taking a break from promoting films, including his upcoming documentary, Stutz. The film was shot in secret with Hill’s therapist, from which the title derived. Stutz will center on discussions about mental health and the anxiety attacks that got progressively worse for the actor.

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The film is set to debut at the fall festivals later this year, although Hill will take no part in the documentary’s promotion. Instead, the actor released a statement to Deadline, making it clear he is not retiring but needs to take time away to focus on himself.

Jonah Hill’s Statement

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Jonah Hill wanted to clarify any misconceptions about his decision to Deadline, releasing a statement surrounding his mental health struggles. The actor says, ‘I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public-facing events.’ His complete statement can be read below:

Hill’s next film, a comedy titled You People, which he co-wrote with Kenya Barris, is set to release sometime in 2022. The Netflix film co-stars Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and David Duchovny. Hill hopes more actors will come forward with their mental health struggles in the industry, and time will tell if that’s the case.

“I have finished directing my second film, a documentary about me and my therapist which explores mental health in general called ‘Stutz.’ The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film. 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. I am so grateful that the film will make its world premiere at a prestigious film festival this fall, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those struggling. However, you won’t see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself. If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film. 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. 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.”

-Jonah Hill