Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that can affect anyone. It involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) that can interfere with daily life, and the NHS guide to OCD is a good place to learn more. While many people with OCD don’t feel able to talk about it, some well-known actors and entertainers have been open about their experiences, helping to break the stigma. Here are eight of them.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken about having a mild form of OCD as a child. He has described going back a block on his walk to school if he missed stepping on a crack, because he felt something would go wrong if he didn’t. He has said that playing Howard Hughes in The Aviator, a character with severe OCD, brought those compulsions back, and that traces of them stayed with him for months after filming.
Cameron Diaz
Actress Cameron Diaz is known for her roles in films like “The Mask” and “There’s Something About Mary”. She has been open about her experience of OCD, describing a fear of germs and cleaning her doorknobs regularly. Diaz has also said she would avoid touching doorknobs altogether, preferring to open doors with her elbows.
Howie Mandel
Comedian and TV personality Howie Mandel has been open about living with OCD and a fear of germs for most of his life. In his memoir, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, he describes OCD as an anxiety disorder that makes it hard for him to shake hands. He has explained the cycle of obsession and compulsion: worrying about germs on his hand, washing it, then feeling the need to wash it again. That is why he famously greets people with a fist bump, and why gloves have become part of his act.
Megan Fox
Actress Megan Fox is known for her roles in films like “Transformers” and “Jennifer’s Body”. In an interview with Allure, Fox opened up about her OCD, including a fear of germs and a focus on cleanliness well beyond the average.
Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson won the Oscar for best actor for playing Melvin Udall, a novelist with OCD, in As Good as It Gets (1997). The film brought OCD to a mainstream audience and showed how intrusive thoughts and rituals can shape someone’s daily life and relationships. Its portrayal has been widely discussed since, and it remains one of Hollywood’s best-known depictions of the condition.
Justin Timberlake
In a 2008 interview with Collider, Justin Timberlake said he has “OCD mixed with ADD”. That hasn’t stopped him from winning multiple Grammy Awards and acting in a range of films. You can read more about him and others in our article on celebrities with ADHD.
Bobby Lee
Bobby Lee is a comedian known for his roles on MADtv. He has also been vocal about his struggles with addiction, PTSD and OCD many times on the Joe Rogan Experience, explaining that his OCD has been with him since childhood. He is open about taking medication and going to therapy to manage his OCD, which can flare up in stressful situations, and he speaks up for mental health awareness.
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg has played plenty of complicated characters, and he has dealt with OCD himself. In a conversation with the Child Mind Institute’s president, Harold Koplewicz, Eisenberg talked about his experiences of OCD and the ways he manages it. He has said that talking about mental health should be easier and carry less stigma.
Breaking the stigma around OCD
OCD is often joked about as simply liking things neat, but these stories show how much more there is to it. When well-known people speak openly, it becomes easier for everyone else to do the same, including at work. Footballer David Beckham has also opened up about his OCD, and singer Robbie Williams has shared his own neurodiversity journey.
OCD can sit alongside other forms of neurodivergence, and the line between neurodiversity and mental health is not always well understood. Our article on why neurodiversity and mental health are not the same explains the difference and why it matters for employers.
How Enna can help
Small changes, like predictable routines and clear written communication, can help colleagues with OCD do their best work. Our reasonable adjustment examples for managers are a practical starting point, and our workplace needs assessments work out the right support for each person. Book a call to talk about what would work for your team.
If you’re job hunting, you’ll find roles with employers who value different ways of thinking on the Enna jobs board. Our resources on thriving at work as a neurodivergent employee are worth a look too.
