Black Panther breakout star Letitia Wright recently chatted with Teen Vogue about how portraying Shuri was a "full circle" moment for her, the importance of Shuri as a character as it relates to STEM, as well as the #TimesUp initiative.
Additionally, Wright delved into her own personal struggles with depression, advocating for transparency around the mental health conversation.
“In the black community, it’s something that happens, but we don't speak about it. We have to continue to talk about it and bring it straight to the forefront," said Wright who confirmed she has battled depression. "And [that doesn’t only apply to] the black community but different races as well.”
The actress also revealed that it was her struggle with depression that deepened her much-lauded faith.
“I speak boldly about [depression] because I struggled with it and I tried to find different ways [to heal], and it just didn't work. I had to look deeper to find what could hold me, and I found that what held me together was my relationship with Jesus and my relationship with God,” she continued.
Things got so bad, however, that Wright took an acting break four years ago in order to tend to her own mental health. “It was like this repetitive cycle that you can’t break out of,” she said. “I did personally deal with it, and I just had to surrender to God, and I found that it really worked for me.”
Wright also touched on how being open about her struggles has helped others.
“Even to this day, I'll be at events and people will pull me to the side and tell me that they deal with the [situations] that I’ve dealt with. And I’m grateful because I want people to find a way out,” she noted.
This post was originally published on Blavity.com.