David Harbour has revealed that he feared his bipolar disorder diagnosis would cost him his acting career. The 43-year-old actor, best known for playing Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, spoke candidly about his mental health struggles on Marc Maron's WTF podcast.
Harbour was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s but kept it private for years, worried that it would make him seem unreliable to potential employers. 'As an actor, you're worried about getting hired, but now I'm at a place where I can talk about this,' he said. 'Also, I'm in my forties, I may as well be myself, whether I get work or not.'
The actor hopes that by speaking out, he can offer support to others facing similar challenges. He recalled imagining a mother whose child is diagnosed with childhood bipolar, feeling it is a 'death sentence'. 'At times in my life, I was that guy,' Harbour said. 'I want to say if you admire this profession... then I'm no different to that child.'
In an interview with British GQ, Harbour encouraged people to embrace their differences. 'If I'm not OK, I'm at least contributing. I struggle on a daily basis,' he said. 'Embrace your neuro-atypicality! Making it as if you're the same as everybody else is a lie and it sticks in the craw of the mentally ill.'
