Zelda Williams is promoting mental health awareness.
Zelda Williams with her father Robin
The 27-year-old actress' father Robin William died by suicide in 2014 and Zelda hosted Philosophy's Hope and Grace Initiative luncheon in Los Angeles last week, where she backed the #HowAreYouReally mental-health awareness campaign.
In her speech, Zelda said: "How many times a day do you get to the counter to order your coffee or pass a coworker in the hall and hear 'How are you?', and before that can even sink in, how quickly do you usually respond with 'I'm fine. You?'. It's sweet, polite, perfunctory. An innocuous exchange that these days, is usually given as much care or actual curiosity as 'how's the weather?'.
"We often respond without thinking, whether we're fine or not, because it's expected. And stranger still, we often ask without actually being curious how the other person is at all, just waiting for some version of 'Ok, good, fine!' before moving on. Because we're busy. And because we assume."
Zelda also referenced dealing with her own grief, explaining that many people did not check to see how she was because they thought she was "strong".
She explained: "Because, speaking from experience, it's more than just a greeting. As someone who always prided herself on being the strong one who took care of others, there were a lot of people in my life who didn't know how to check if I was ok when my world turned upside down. We all have to take it day by day, but asking at all, instead of assuming, is a great first step."
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