Xuenou > Celebrity > “House Of The Dragon” Star Olivia Cooke Says She Had A “Full Mental Breakdown” When She Was 22
“House Of The Dragon” Star Olivia Cooke Says She Had A “Full Mental Breakdown” When She Was 22
The actor detailed her past mental health struggles and explained how she currently advocates for herself.

“House Of The Dragon” Star Olivia Cooke Says She Had A “Full Mental Breakdown” When She Was 22

You know Olivia Cooke from HBO’s hit Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon.

Screen Media Films / Courtesy Everett Collection

She explained that her mental health struggles occurred while she was filming Ready Player One and the dark comedy Thoroughbreds alongside Anya Taylor-Joy.

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“It was bad, bad. Awful, actually,” she recalled, while explaining that working through what she was experiencing didn’t exactly help things.

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“I was working all the way through,” she said, the publication describing her as explaining herself “with a rueful laugh.” “I was very good at hiding it,” she continued. “If anything, I was like, let me escape myself.”

Amazon / courtesy Everett Collection

It sounds like Olivia is doing much better now, and in the interview she also cites her ability to speak up for herself when something is amiss on set.

Vertical Entertainment / Everett Collection

“I’ve always been quite protective of myself and known my limits, and known if someone was taking the piss,” she said. “And no one else is going to say it, usually. … If it happens more than twice, then I speak up.”

Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection

Olivia’s story serves as a reminder that it’s always important to look out for yourself and your mental health — no matter what you’ve got going on. You’re your number one priority, and there’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself when you can.

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Read the entire interview here.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.