Evans told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast that he first experience anxiety before the 2007 release of “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” in which he played Johnny Storm. Evans explains that he had growing anxiety due to losing out on parts and not having some of his non-super hero films recognized.
Evans continued to battle his anxiety and even started having anxiety attacks. “I really started to think, ‘I’m not sure if this [acting] is the right thing for me, I’m not sure if I’m feeling as healthy as I should be feeling,’” he admitted to “Awards Chatter.”
In 2010, Evans was offered to audition for the role of Steven Rogers (Captian America). The unprecedented film deal meant that he was on the hook for nine Marvel films. The pressure was too much for him to bear. Evans let his anxiety get the best of him, and turned down the audition. Luckily, Marvel would not take “no” for an answer and offered the part to Evans outright. Thanks to sage advice and from Robert Downey Jr., aka Iron Man, Evans was able to push through his fear and take on the role that would catapult his acting career.
Evans says taking the role of Captian America was the best decision he’d ever made. And, thanks to the persistence of Marvel studios and his friends and family, Evans did not let his fear guide his decisions. “To be honest, all the things that I was fearing never really came to fruition,” he said. Chris Evans has always been open and honest about his mental health struggles. Thankfully, he’s been able to work through them and shed light on how one can overcome anxiety with a little help.