variety
Malin Ackerman may star in a new TV series. The “Billions” actor recently told EXCLUSIVELY that she filmed a pilot for a dark comedy dealing with suicide. It was written by her husband Jack Donnelly.
For Ackermann, who plays a therapist on the show, mental health issues were close at hand because her mother battled depression for much of her childhood. The experience led Ackermann to work with On Our Sleeves, an organization that helps families talk about mental health.
“Like depression, there were ups and downs with my mom,” says Ackermann. “Sometimes her face would go black and I wouldn’t see her for days. She would lock herself in her room. And sometimes she was the best thing since a slice of bread. And it was so It was fun.She is such a wonderful person.I feel sorry for her.I feel sorry for people who suffer from depression.”
When Ackerman was a child, this wasn’t talked about much (her mother wasn’t diagnosed with depression until later in life), but now the family has been very open about their experiences. she says. “For both of us, it was tough,” says Ackermann. “Since then we’ve talked about it and now have a good relationship.”
It took Ackerman some time to realize that mental health issues were “normal, not bad.”
“This is something I’ve had to unpack and work on over the years,” she says. “It’s been part of my journey to break through family patterns—what I don’t want—and keep what’s great.”
On Our Sleeves provides resources for adults to encourage children to talk more about mental health issues. Ackermann posted a message on her Instagram last week to wish her birthday and encourage her 521,000 followers to donate to the charity.
She wants people to know that it’s okay to reach out. Being more honest has strengthened her relationships with her friends and family, she says.
“I grew up in survival mode,” says Ackerman. “I kept an arm’s length from many people so I wouldn’t get hurt, right? So now I’ve learned to ask for help, show weakness and accept people. This is us. It was a discovery that I knew it would only make our friendship even stronger.It made us more of a community.We all relate to each other.I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. I didn’t allow it before, I always felt that other people had problems and I didn’t want to burden them with my problems, I was like, ‘It’s okay. No problem. I will fix it. “
Find out more about On Our Sleeves here. onoursleeves.org.
