“Black Panther” actor went to therapy after playing Killmonger
Written by: Tanner White, sports and entertainment writer
Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan talked about his mental health on Oprah Winfrey’s “SuperSoul Conversations” TV special, airing on March 24. Playing the super villain Killmonger in the film took a huge toll on Jordan’s mental health, like Heath Ledger’s Joker character from the “Batman” series.
“I spent a lot of time alone. I figured Killmonger’s childhood was pretty lonely. He didn’t have a lot of people he could talk to,” Jordan said in the interview with Winfrey. “I shut out love; I didn’t want love. I wanted to be in this lonely place as long as I could.”
The award-winning actor confesses that he “didn’t have an escape plan” and that “being in that kind of mind state” caught up with him. After the filming process for the movie finished, Jordan had trouble differentiating himself from reality.
What Jordan said about mental health continues the trend of finding help. He said that talking to a therapist helped him a lot, regardless of the backlash men receive for getting help.
Many actors want to get into the role they play, making every little detail about the character perfect and real. They do this even to the point where they lose touch of reality and get stuck between the character and their real selves.
Heath Ledger, famous for his role in the The Dark Knight as the Joker, also struggled with mental health. He sought help, but didn’t get it in time, as he took his own life at the age of 28. His time getting into the role of the Joker caused a mental problem in Ledger, making him insane and lonely.
“Honestly, just talking to somebody helped me out a lot. As a man you get a lot of slack for it. Everyone needs to unpack and talk,” Jordan said. Mental health has become a huge topic in the last few years, with big names in sports and entertainment, like Michael B. Jordan coming forward and opening up about his struggles.
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Tanner White is a sophomore communications major with an emphasis in digital media. He enjoys baseball, music, and long walks to the fridge.
