Actress Rene Russo Reveals Lifelong Struggle With Bipolar Disorder

"I haven't shared this, but I think it's kind of important," she said.

ByABC News
October 15, 2014, 9:56 AM
Rene Russo attends the Zurich Film Festival on Sept. 30, 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Rene Russo attends the Zurich Film Festival on Sept. 30, 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

— -- Rene Russo revealed on a TV talk show that she has fought a lifelong battle with bipolar disorder.

The 60-year-old actress offered up the revelation on "The Queen Latifah Show," for an episode set to air later this month.

In a preview video clip, Latifah asked Russo and her "Nightcrawler" co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal, for one thing that each had to push through in his or her life.

"Bipolar medication," Russo said. "I pretty much hit a wall and my mom said, my whole childhood, 'You're pretty much stop-and-go.' Then I stopped. ... Yeah, that was it for me."

She added, "For all the people that are having trouble and feel bad about taking medication, I have to say, I mean, [I] didn't expect to say this: ... It's OK, you will make it through. It's not easy, but you will make it through."

Latifah asked the "Lethal Weapon" actress when she came "to that realization and [decided] act on it" by taking medication for bipolar disorder.

"I literally crashed, hit a wall and couldn't get out of bed," she said. "I thought it was depression, but if you take antidepressants it speeds you up more. So I'm kind of stop-and-go, I either crash or speed."

"I haven't shared this, but I think it's kind of important," she said. "I have friends who don't want to go on medication, and they are suffering."