Glenn Close is hoping to change the world and this time it’s related to something very close to her heart — and her family. The actress, whose sister has bipolar disorder, is promoting her foundation, Bring Change 2 Mind, which is hoping to remove the stigma of mental illness.
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“It is part of the human condition,” Close told the New York Daily News. “Actually, because so many people are affected by it, it is something that should be a uniting, hope-filled issue rather than something that people have always been loathed to talk about, and afraid and shamed about it.”
Close founded the organization in the hope of ending the stigma for all kinds of mental illness and she said that it will happen only when people feel they can speak openly about it. She said that because many people know someone with a mental illness, “it’s really important to now be able to have open conversation about it.”
Close isn’t the only one who has been outspoken about the stigma surrounding mental illness. Singer Demi Lovato has also talked about her own mental illnesses, including addiction, as well as her father’s battle with mental illness.
“My dad suffered from severe mental illness so at least there’s peace in knowing he’s not suffering anymore,” she said on the anniversary of his death. “I’ve dealt with mental illnesses, and my father also dealt with mental illness. He wasn’t able to function in society very well. I’m handling it OK. My father and I didn’t have the most ideal relationship. But at the end of the day, he’s still my dad. I grew up with him, and he’s a wonderful person.”
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At 67 years old, Close is staying busy, both with her passions and her career. Her next film, Guardians of the Galaxy, is out Aug. 1.
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