Rene Russo: I’m bipolar

Rene Russo has bipolar disorder.

The 60-year-old actress is best known for her work in a string of ‘90s movies, such as Lethal Weapon 3, Get Shorty and Ransom. She has spoken candidly about her struggle with the mental illness for the very first time during an appearance on a US talk show.

“My mom said my whole childhood… was stop and go,” she explained to the live studio audience on The Queen Latifah Show on Tuesday.

The star was on the talk show to promote her latest movie Nightcrawler, but also discussed the disease that sees dramatic highs and lows in mood levels. Her co-star Jake Gyllenhaal was also present for the very personal revelation, which she brought up after Rene was questioned by Latifah about any difficult issues she has faced in her life to date.

“I literally crashed, hit a wall and couldn't get out of bed. I thought it was depression, but if you take antidepressants it speeds you up more,” the former model of the time she realised she was affected by bipolar.

This was the very first time Rene, who is married to screenwriter Dan Gilroy, divulged the information publicly. The star has now found the appropriate medication to help level out her symptoms, but acknowledged that not everybody has the same success.

“I haven't shared this. I have friends who don't want to go on medication, and they are suffering,” she said.

But things are clearly on the rise career-wise for Rene, who can next be seen in her husband’s crime thriller, Nightcrawler, on October 31.