Alan Ritchson has secured himself as one of Hollywood's most in-demand men after launching to fame in the TV show Reacher.
Away from the small screen he's also happily married to his high school sweetheart and they share three beautiful children. But Alan's life isn't without struggles.
The star lives with a debilitating mental health condition which he speaks openly about in a bid to help others.
Bipolar
© Getty ImagesAlan was diagnosed with bipolar when he was 36 years old. Several tough experiences in the acting and modelling industry, including sexual assault, culminated in a suicide attempt. He later explained that a vision of his sons saved him from the brink.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alan recalled that before he tried to take his own life by hanging, he was in such a dark place that he was "stuck in bed for weeks."
"My wife and kids were concerned, and I could see confusion in their eyes. Nobody knew what was wrong," he said.
Fortunately, he was able to pull himself up before he blacked out and he sought help from a psychiatrist. Alan initially stormed out of the doctor's office but later realized that the diagnosis helped explained his feelings and periods of mania.
"I was diagnosed as bipolar right after,” he said. "Deep down, I was comforted to know, 'OK, there’s a name for this.'" Four years later he was also diagnosed with ADHD.
How Alan manages his depression
Alan sees a psychiatrist weekly and he, Catherine and his assistant know the signs of an episode to look out for.
"When I’m feeling depressed, it doesn’t really matter, because I am so focused at work. I could go weeks without people even knowing I feel a certain way," Alan said.
"When I’m manic and I feel like something isn’t living up to its best potential, it usually comes out in a very — not in a mean way — but in a 'this has to be better' way," he continued. "Like a very, almost obsessive 'this has to be better.'"
He had "manic" episodes on the set of the first season of Reacher and often refused to leave the set for a stuntman to take over.
© GettyThe stunt coordinator temporarily left because he said Alan was being too reckless and wouldn't follow his directions.
Fortunately, at home, his manic behaviour manifests itself in far less harmful ways.
"It’s this thing like, 'I gotta find a perfectly white pair of shoes that look like a tennis shoe but arent,'' he told Men's Health.
"Three days later, eight pairs of shoes show up that are all identical. And I’m like, 'Oh, [expletive], I’m manic right now.'"
He wants to speak out to help others who are suffering
© Getty ImagesAlan talks about his condition on his Youtube channel Instachurch as a way of processing his depression and to help others who are struggling with their mental health.
“Being bipolar has wreaked havoc on my life many, many times," he said. "I would wish it away if I could, but it’s so much a part of who I am now that I should celebrate it a little or, at least, accept it.
"Mental health is an everyday conversation for me."
His family are his rock
© Getty ImagesAlan's wife and their sons, Calem, Eden, and Amory, are a huge part of his support network. In May 2023, he shared an emotional tribute to Catherine on their 17th wedding anniversary.
"Dealing with a bipolar husband who can give a sane partner severe whiplash and a level of fame that nothing can prepare you for," he wrote. "I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Yet this is the straw she drew when she said 'I do'."
He continued: "Thank GOD for someone with the unspeakable strength, persistence, resilience, patience, grace, love, compassion and forgiveness to suffer through the valleys with me… I am eternally grateful that God knew well enough to gift me a life with her."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
