Olivia Cooke gets candid about early career struggles

Olivia Cooke has opened up about sharing a deeply personal chapter of her life.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the House of the Dragon star opened up about the frightening period when she experienced a full mental breakdown.

Recalling the intensity of that time, she said, “Panic attacks every day for three weeks.”

“I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy,” she continued. 

“It was like you're being tortured from within.” Cooke admitted that her emotional state became so overwhelming that, “I don't want to be too dramatic, but it got to the point where I was, like, ‘I don't want to be here any more.’”

Cooke said acting ultimately became her lifeline during that turbulent period, especially through her work on Bates Motel and several film projects. 

Speaking about how she found solace in performing, she shared, “Between action and cut, that was like heaven.”

Growing up in Oldham, a working-class town in northern England, the actress reflected on how her background shaped both her resilience and her determination to succeed. 

However, breaking into the industry, she said, demanded twice the effort.

“You have to work twice as hard just to have that door opened for you,” she explained. 

“If you're growing up with no connections and no money, how are you gonna get down to London for an open audition?” she remarked in conclusion.