Chris Evans almost didn't become Captain America due to anxiety
People likely wouldn't expect the man behind Captain America ever to struggle, particularly with mental health, but Chris Evans has been dealing with anxiety for a long time. Chris started acting in movies in 2000; he first experienced anxiety in 2007. In 2010, the anxiety worsened because he got dumped and lost some movie roles, leading to mini panic attacks while filming the movie Puncture. He almost quit acting due to the attacks.
Shortly after, Marvel wanted Evans to play Captain America. Still, Evans turned down auditions for the role because he was worried about the possible fame and the length of the contract, locking him up for a decade or longer. He would eventually take the role after talking to his therapist, friends, family, and Robert Downey Jr. Chris Evans would become one of the world's biggest movie stars as Captain America. The movies have even helped him deal with his anxiety better.
Quotes
It's just a matter of saying, 'You know what, let's just go on a little vacation from these thoughts just for a minute. Just for a minute.' And then just keep extending that minute. And before you know it, that's who you are. That's like, when those thoughts quiet down. We're not our thoughts, are we? Our thoughts are just like fucking noise in our head, and nine times out of ten, it's not helpful. Just practicing talking your brain into the practice of being quiet, you'll start to inevitably realize, 'This is effective.'
Chris Evans
I’ve also seen him, over the last 10 years, go from being someone who had laughably real social anxiety to someone who has grown more and more comfortable in their own skin.
Robert Downey Jr.
Like most of our anxiety in life, it’s about these fears about what will happen. You know, when you’re able to still your mind, and be present in your body, those fears melt away. Anxiety in general is predicated on living outside of the moment, you know, analyzing the past and worrying about the future. So over ten years of making these movies, and being forced to do big-stage sort of things, you realize that a lot of the fears you had never really do come to fruition, and look even if they do, I’ve had some things that haven’t always gone the way I wanted to, when you choose to not dwell on them, to look for them, to read or absorb them, they do disappear.
Chris Evans
References
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Chris Evans Explains His Method For Dealing With Nighttime Anxiety
The actor/filmmaker is the guest on the latest episode of the podcast You Made It Weird With Pete Holmes, and in their conversation together Evans opens up about how he personally deals with anxiety.
CinemaBlend
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When Chris Evans Almost Rejected Captain America Due To Anxiety & Recalled Chris Hemsworth & Robert Downey Jr Helped Him, “My Suffering Would Be My Own”
By the end, The Captain America actor said that signing Marvel movies was one of the best decisions of his life. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I really owe that to [Marvel chief] Kevin Feige for being persistent and helping me avoid making a giant mistake. To be honest, all the things that I was fearing never really came to fruition.”
koimoi
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Chris Evans Opens Up About How He Overcomes His Anxiety
With over 10 years in the Marvel spotlight, he credits his fame with helping his anxiety, as he was forced to confront his fears. The actor spent a lot of time worrying about what could potentially happen, but his time in the limelight helped him to realize that those fears often don’t come true.
ScreenRant
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Chris Evans Said His Severe Anxiety and Panic Attacks Almost Ended His Acting Career
When Marvel first offered him the opportunity to test for the role of Captain America—initially demanding a nine-movie deal—he turned it down, afraid the inevitable fame would render his anxiety unmanageable. "My suffering would my own," Evans explained. He turned the opportunity down again and again, despite higher salary offers and a decreased commitment to only six movies.
Marie Claire
