ACTRESS Lili Reinhart, known for playing Betty Cooper in the teen drama series Riverdale, is popular both for the role and her openness in discussing her mental health struggles.
In an Instagram Story last year, she spoke about her battle with depression, with hopes that others in the same shoes understand that when it comes to mental well-being, some days are tough and that's normal.
"Some days I feel really defeated by my depression," she wrote. "It's an exhausting battle that I've been fighting for 11 years and some days, like today, it can feel intolerable."
"This is a reminder to my fellow warriors that it's okay to have days where you don't want to fight anymore. You don't need to justify your mental health to anyone."
Reinhart has said that she was first diagnosed with depression at 14. Her depression turned worse after she moved to Los Angeles and found it difficult to land acting roles.
She had once tweeted that landing Riverdale ended "the worse depression I had ever experienced".
Now, she makes it a point to talk openly about her mental health.
SHARING HER STRUGGLE
In 2018, she shared her struggle. "I had to find my passion again because it had dwindled like all the money in my bank account from being in LA for five months, and booking two things and not seeing any money coming my way, and struggling to get out of the house and get out of bed, and struggling to make friends. It was a really rough, rough point in my life."
Reinhart had also written a poetry book titled Swimming Lessons about her depression and also as a tool to ask her followers to take care of themselves.
Last month, Reinhart was accorded the Women in Film Max Mara Face of the Future award and while that was something that came as a surprise to her, she said she wanted to use the platform to open conversation on mental health and to support body positivity.
"When I was told about the award, I was confused and I wondered why they picked me?" she said, insinuating that, at times, she still feels like she isn't good enough.
"(But I realised that) I've owned it and (I need to) let go of some imposter syndrome and allow myself to accept this with pride.
"I feel very honoured to be included in a group of women who have received this. I'm in great company and I'm excited to be with these amazing people in the industry."
ORGANIC GROWTH
Reinhart says being known for her openness about mental health and body positivity was not something that she set out to do.
"It happened organically. I wanted to bring up these topics because it is true to who I am. It's what I struggle with, and I am that kind of person who needs to talk about things to connect and process and feel that I am not alone."
Along the way, it turned into advocacy and now I am really proud and I'm happy to talk about it," she says.
Reinhart has also been open about the realities in the entertainment industry, including the impossible standards placed on women.
"I think being in the industry means having a lot of people look up to you. I feel that I've taken the responsibility to spread good messages and call out toxicity in this industry that has been prevalent since day one," she says.
"I am going to try and keep going with that advocacy and I will continue to speak out on the issues I'm called to speak out about," she says.
CHILDHOOD AMBITION
Reinhart said she has always wanted to be an actress. "When I was growing up, I would put on shows for my family in our living room, and then I started auditioning for roles in New York and Los Angeles when I was 12.
"I did an audition for Riverdale when I was 19, that my mum recorded in our house in Ohio, but they turned me down. I moved to LA two months later, and my manager told me that they still hadn't found someone for the lead, so I went back to the casting director and got the role after a few more auditions."
She has also founded her own production company, Small Victory Productions, as a tool to tell more stories about women.
"We are developing some exciting projects with new roles for me. When I started playing more challenging characters, I feel like I am building more confidence as an actress. I want to bring more unique perspectives to the film industry.
She says it's important that the industry includes as many women as possible.
"I think that is the goal moving forward – we want to embrace women and include them as much as possible. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to have my own production (and carry this out)."