Trevor Noah Credits Jim Carrey for Helping Him Accept His Depression

Sometimes, all it takes is one person, one story, to help you realize you’re not alone — and knowing you’re not alone can be the first step in getting help. For “Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah, that person was Jim Carrey.

On Friday, Noah showed his serious side in an acceptance speech at Friday’s Just for Laughs Awards, where he was awarded Comedy Person of the Year. In his speech, he credited Jim Carrey as being the first person to help him accept that he was experiencing depression. Carey was also in attendance to receive a Generation Award.

 

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I cannot lie I am living my dream. I never dreamed I would ever meet some of the people who shaped how I saw funny in the world. I also never dreamed I would be on the same stage as them receiving an award! Thank you Jim Carrey for being as amazing in person as you’ve always been on screen. And thank you my friend @wkamaubell for being in this picture and also in my life! #grateful #Dreams #Legend #Comedy

A post shared by Trevor Noah (@trevornoah) on Jul 29, 2017 at 12:32pm PDT

According to The Daily News, Noah said in his acceptance speech, “Jim Carrey was one of the first comedians that described the beast that many of us face in this room and that’s depression. I didn’t know what that thing was. I just thought I liked sleeping for weeks on end sometimes.”

“I was like, ‘Oh shit, that’s what’s going on,’ and I thank you because, you know, I found a way to fight it,” Noah told Entertainment Tonight Canada.

This isn’t the first time Noah has spoken out about depression. As a teenager he had severe acne, and told NPR he went on medication that makes you both “depressed and suicidal.” He’s also been open about depression on his own show. Once, chatting with his guest, comedian Neal Brennan, he dispelled the myth that people who have depression “aren’t supposed to smile.”

What’s funny about it is that people go, ‘If you’re depressed you can’t smile, if you’re depressed you can’t tell jokes,’ but as comedians, that’s like the one thing most comedians share. It’s just that monkey on [our] backs.

If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page.

If you need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “HOME” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.