Leon Schuster opens up about his struggle with depression and loneliness
South African comedy legend Leon Schuster shares his hidden struggles with depression and loneliness, challenging the stigma surrounding mental health.
Image: Supplied/kykNET
South African comedy icon Leon Schuster, once the country’s prank-king of the silver screen, has revealed after decades of entertainment, fame and millions in net worth, he has quietly battled depression and loneliness.
His candid discussion offers a glimpse behind the jokes, opening up on a part of his life rarely seen beyond his public persona.
Having built a legacy as one of South Africa’s most-loved entertainers, Shuster admits that on Sunday evenings when the sun goes down, he gets depressed and tries to have his children visit him.
Though he is known for uproarious hits such as Zulu on My Stoep, the father of four and grandfather is wrestling with the demands of life beyond filming.
Having been divorced since 1999 from his ex-wife Lalie, he adds, “To grow old alone is my biggest fear”
The entertainer openly speaks of enduring two failed back surgeries and reliance on painkiller pills, a combination that has taken a toll on his mental health as much as his mobility.
Despite being reported to have a net worth of around R50 million, that financial success does not shield from the emotional vulnerability that Schuster describes.
In a new documentary on kykNet, he reveals the extent of his inner turmoil: although the public sees the jokes and the camera, he says the truth is, “If no one visits me, I sit on my stoep and think about life, which is not a good thing.”
Depression is real - whether you’re a funny guy or not
In South Africa the diagnosis and treatment of depression in men is compromised by lack of resources, challenges in access, and cultural stigma.
By admitting the truth of his own struggle with the loneliness, the pain, and the fear of growing old alone, Schuster may be helping to destigmatize male depression in a society where men often suffer in silence.
His willingness to speak about aging, pain, divorce, and loneliness changes the narrative: success and fame do not protect men against depression.
Hopefully it also opens a wider conversation about mental health before it becomes overwhelming.
When he says, “Entrepreneurs, actors, anyone working hard - don’t wait until the pain gets too loud to listen,” he’s speaking not only to his peers but also to a generation of South African men.
IOL Entertainment