YH MENTAL HEALTH SERIES: Hollywood vs. Real Life — A Conversation on Espionage & Identity with Darrell Blocker

Every year, as Young Hollywood returns from the Milken Global Conference, we are eager to immediately share the latest news, stories, and insights. One topic in particular stays especially close to our hearts, and we return to it repeatedly. With February being a statistically challenging time for many, we’re launching our YH Mental Health Series. 

DB: How would I describe myself? This may be the best question I’ve ever been asked. People define me as the CIA guy, but that’s just a part. I am first and foremost a father to two incredible adult children. I am a devoted son and sibling. But mostly I’m a country boy from Georgia who loves travel, exploration, music, food, and life as we all experience it. I’m a humanist at heart, guided by curiosity and critical thinking, constantly learning and trying to make sense of challenges in order to leave things a little better than I found them.

YH: What does long-term pressure do to a person that people don’t usually see? 

DB: Long-term pressure builds diamonds. Micro-pressures in spurts over long periods built the Grand Canyon. My point is that dealing with pressure comes with the job. In fact, it is the job. But micro-pressures over long periods of time, however, lead to PTSD, broken spirits, divorces, estrangement from family members. We experience unrelenting bouts of micro-pressures that are dealt with long after retirement, but we were selected, trained, and prepared to handle such situations. 

YH: What is your most favorite stress management technique that you can share with us?

DB: There is nothing like looking at water to calm my mind. Gazing into the sky prone on my back and describing cloud formations in animal forms is another stress management tool. Also, diving into things that I disagree with or don’t understand brings clarity and calm for future projects in my path. Running, any type of physical activity, and music of course are my go-tos.

YH: Favorite spy movie?

DB: I grew up on James Bond. Daniel Craig was the 007 who was most like the original books by Ian Fleming. If I had to choose one film, A Most Wanted Man is powerful on many fronts and depicts the chess match played in the counterterrorism world, even amongst allies. 

YH: Tell us about upcoming release of the series by Big Media.

DB: "Inside The CIA: Secrets and Spies" is a collection of 8 untold stories from former CIA officers. NatGeo will [have the premiere for] this series on February 26 and it hits the airwaves in March. I am one of the eight episodes and I’ll keep the details confidential for now… force of habit perhaps.

YH: What does Hollywood get fundamentally wrong about espionage? 

DB: Hollywood is fixated on action, and rightfully so -- it’s entertaining. But there are two areas that are maddening: 1) conflating law enforcement and/or military with clandestine operations and activities, and 2) the treatment of or characterizing spies as expendable pawns to be sacrificed at will. No guns. No car chases. No glibly sending agents to their deaths. 

YH: In environments where strength is expected, how do people learn to ask for help — if they ever do?

DB: This is a good question and brings up a major failing for Hollywood attempts to capture espionage operations. More specifically, the lone wolf crusader saving the world by himself. Espionage is a team sport. There’s no one who succeeds in espionage alone, so the depiction of CIA being afraid to ask for help is totally, 100% off. 

YH: What do you say to your kids, that you believe is a wise message for our young audience?

DB: Travel the world, stay curious, welcome the diversity of cultures, learn languages and skills; the more digital and advanced technologically this world is becoming, the more of human intelligence, grace, passion, integrity, and accountability we all need to preserve and protect in ourselves and others. 

No matter where life takes you or how many roles it asks you to carry, pressure is inevitable. Just a reminder, we are not meant to carry it alone. There are people ready to help when things get heavy, and others who need you to stay human, grounded, and present, regardless of the surrounding chaos and uncertainty. 

Key Teen Mental Health Resources:

- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Available 24/7, just dial 988.

- Teen Line: A peer-run hotline where trained teenagers provide support, reachable from 6pm to 10pm PST by calling 310-855-HOPE or 800-852-TEEN, or texting TEEN to 839863.

- Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741 for 24/7 crisis counseling.

- NAMI HelpLine: Available Monday-Friday, 10am to 10pm ET, by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or texting "Friend" to 62640.

- Youth Crisis Line (California): 1-800-843-5200 (offers 24/7 crisis intervention for various issues)