NCIS: ORIGINS actor Kyle Schmid is getting frank about mental health

This Movember, NCIS: ORIGINS actor Kyle Schmid started meaningful conversations about men’s mental health with his friends in the entertainment industry. Kyle felt compelled to do more this year after losing his mother to cancer and welcoming his daughter to the world.

1. Why did you decide to get involved with Movember now? What motivated you to take the plunge this year?

I’ve actually participated in the past but not to this degree. This past year was both a challenging and beautiful one. In one sense, I lost my mother, and in the other, I gained my daughter. I also began playing a very masculine, mustached character on a popular TV show who makes some questionable decisions. At a certain point, I just decided I wanted to start having more valuable conversations and thought that Movember, and the people involved in the organization, would be good partners to help share the conversations.

2. How are you fundraising for Movember (i.e., Growing, Moving, Hosting, Mo’ing Your Own Way)?

I have a permanent handlebar mustache, per my character Mike Franks on NCIS: ORIGINS. My fundraising strategy was prize-driven and hopefully, heart-driven. I genuinely just wanted to share these very important and vulnerable conversations with the world in hopes that someone might watch them and not feel alone. Prize wise, I gathered some scripts and had co-stars sign them, a pair of genuine Mike Franks cowboy boots, and with some friends I work with, managed to secure a private studio tour of Paramount, where we work.

3. As part of your fundraising activity, you’re sitting down with fellow actors to talk about men’s mental health. How did you decide to do this, and why do you think it’s important now, more than ever for men to take charge of their mental health?

I think it’s always been important to get involved in mental health. I’ve lost friends and family to addiction and suicide. Old stigmas still reign throughout the world, and mental health isn’t something I’m willing to mess about with and I don’t think anyone else should either.

4. Did you find it difficult to initiate these conversations at first? How did you push through any discomfort?

To be honest, I’ve always sought out deeper conversations. Many of the people I talked to were also friends, so it made it easier. We’d always preface a conversation with some ground rules that made sure that the guest always felt in control and had the ability to guide the direction of talk. More often than not, though, once we really got into it, time disappeared and we just talked, and that’s where the most meaningful parts of the conversations took place.

5. Why do you think it’s important to have conversations about men’s mental health with women as well as men.

The world is a pretty well-balanced miracle of sorts. My wife sees things in my behavior and understands things about me that I don’t even understand and vice versa. The idea of masculinity in a sense has a lot to do with the male/female relationship and expectations society puts on both sexes. I think it’s a very important conversation to involve both sexes in.

6. How do you take care of your own mental health when times are stressful?

Sometimes I’ll call my therapist, sometimes I’m able to share my anxiety with my wife, sometimes I’ll go really hard at the gym. Sometimes I’ll call my brother. We’re really close, and I’m lucky to have him as one of my best friends. One way or another, I’m getting it off my chest. If I sit in anything for too long, it can feel claustrophobic.

7. What advice do you have for someone who may be struggling with their mental health but not sure what to do?

I hope that person has a friend of family member they can try and talk to. One of the most common misconceptions is that we/you are alone in our feelings of anxiety/stress, when in fact everyone feels degrees of it in different ways. If someone doesn’t have that outlet, there are so many valuable outlets that can be explored on the internet. I hope that they can start there with properly vetted sites. There are also hotlines, agencies, charities, social workers that are good outlets for someone to reach out to when things get too heavy.

8. Can you speak to the importance of men’s total health? Why is it important to you to understand your mental health as well as your physical health?

They go hand in hand. The science behind physical health directly correlating to mental health is overwhelming. That’s not to say you need to join a gym and lifts weights to stay mentally healthy, but getting regular sunlight and going on regular walks and getting exercise is important.

9. Have you been surprised by the support you’ve received? Raising over $11,000 in your first year is no small feat!

I’m very grateful to everyone who took the time to watch our conversations and also to those who donated. I’m hoping to continue these conversations beyond Movember.

10. Congratulations on becoming a father! How has your outlook on your mental and physical health evolved since becoming a parent?

It’s tough, man! Look, I’m getting less sleep than I ever have, and I’m working harder than I ever have. I’m also doing all of these things for the best reason I could ever ask for. It’s a challenge, though. There are new pressures to provide and take care of a new member of the family. All you want is to be the best husband and father you can be. I try and run at least a few miles three days a week, and if I can find the time, I’ll try and lift some weights. I go on walks with my wife and spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m doing my best.

11. What is your hope for the next generation of young men?

I’m hoping that my daughter will date someone who is just as confident in themselves expressing their hopes, desires and dreams as their fears and vulnerabilities. I hope that we are celebrated when asking for help with the understanding that the stronger we are as individuals, the stronger society is as a whole. It is the courageous who seek out the knowledge to grow stronger.

12. What is your biggest takeaway from your first-year fundraising for Movember?

I wish I started having these conversations with people a long time ago.

13. What do you hope to do next campaign?

I'd like to pick up where I left off. It's a great campaign. I'm very grateful to be part of it.

14. Why would you encourage more people to participate in Movember?

I hope that once they recognize the value to starting these conversations with friends and family, that it just gets easier. You never know who might be going through some really hard times; that call or that check-in may just save someone you love.

15. How do you hope to spread awareness outside of the Movember campaign?

I'm going to continue my conversations about mental health and also expand into other social topics that I think need a better overall understanding in our current climate.

16. Anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to thank you guys for all that you've done to create a platform that makes spreading awareness on such a tough topic, fun and easy. It's getting better, and you guys are a big part of that.

Tune in to Kyle and friends' full conversations on the Let's Be Frank YouTube and support Movember here.