Will Arnett recently opened up about his experience with therapy, sharing a vulnerable moment on the “SmartLess” podcast.
“I just started therapy,” the 54-year-old actor revealed during the Monday, August 19, episode. “I’m going to get real for a second. I don’t know anything. This is the most scared I’ve ever been in my life—right now.”
Speaking with cohosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and special guest Rashida Jones, Arnett disclosed that he had undergone an intense therapy session just hours before recording the episode.
“It’s really scary. I’m doing this, and I can’t even believe I’m talking about it,” he admitted. “I’m petrified.”
Bateman, 55, expressed support for his longtime friend, suggesting that part of Arnett’s anxiety might stem from admitting that he might not know as much as he previously believed. Arnett agreed, saying, “Yep, that’s part of it.”
Hayes, 54, who has also been through therapy, encouraged Arnett to “embrace the fear.” Jones chimed in, noting that nerves can be a good sign because “we’re all scared.”
“Good for you for doing the work,” Jones continued. “You could just slide by and live in denial for the rest of your life, but the fact that you’re going deep now means you’re going to rebuild and become the best version of yourself.”
Arnett, visibly moved by his friends’ support, confessed that he had needed eye drops before the podcast due to a particularly “rough” therapy session earlier that day. Despite the challenges, he recognized that this process is making a positive impact on his life.
“I had a really rough morning,” he shared. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks.”
Arnett also mentioned that his ex-wife, Amy Poehler, has been supportive of his decision to start therapy. The couple, who divorced in 2012 after nine years of marriage, continue to maintain a friendly relationship while co-parenting their sons, Archie, 15, and Abel, 14.
“The best part is I told Poehler yesterday, and she said, ‘I’m so glad,’” Arnett recalled with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘What do you mean you’re so glad?’”
Although Arnett didn’t specify what led him to seek therapy, the topic arose after Jones, 48, discussed the common self-reflective questions that people begin to ask as they approach their 50s, such as “Who am I?”
“I don’t know,” Jones admitted when asked what she wants to do next. “I’m having that moment right now where I’m like, I don’t know anything.”
