Remembering Actress Brittany Belland
On Thanksgiving Day my friend Brittany Belland passed away. I met Brittany filming a 48 Hour Film in Cincinnati — a weekend filled with fun and laughter and happiness. She was an absolute delight, with a big warm smile, a contagiously-fun personality, and an immense amount of talent.
I’m just now writing about it because, when I’ve found pockets of time, I haven’t wanted to. I’ve been processing. Thinking. About her. About those she left behind, and those of us fortunate enough to have collaborated with her. I’ve been thinking about mental illness and depression… because Brittany took her own life.
The picture of Brittany above is how I knew her. This is also what mental illness looks like — it’s often completely hidden. Ironically, Brittany’s wasn’t. She was completely open about her struggles with depression, she actively sought help, and she even championed suicide prevention causes.
I know many people deal with mental health issues in many forms. I’ve dealt with clinical depression myself. And unfortunately, I’ve known people who have lost the battle. This one fucked me up because of Brittany’s awareness and openness. It’s unexplainable. It’s irrational. It’s heartbreaking. Sometimes, I suppose, the darkness is just too much.
