Evan Rachel Wood's Westworld Character Inspired Her to Go to Trauma Therapy

Evan Rachel Wood may portray an artificial robot-like being on Westworld, but portraying a badass female lead gave her the strength to cope with her emotions IRL.

Speaking about the show at Forbes’s Under 30 Summit in Boston, the actress revealed how playing Dolores has helped her come to terms with her past. Wood has previously disclosed that she was raped twice and survived a suicide attempt.

“She’s a survivor; she’s been abused for about 30 years … she’s been knocked down so many times and she comes back even stronger,” she said, adding that Dolores’s personality helped her seek trauma therapy.

She moved on to explain why she’s unafraid of being honest about her personal life in Hollywood. “Being an actor doesn’t take away your humanity or take you out of the real world,” she said. “Actors are citizens, they pay their taxes, they work hard, they raise their families … we are putting ourselves out there with risks of damaging our careers.”

In addition, Wood also addressed the fact that she regularly nails red carpets, often turning to suits that break the norms of gender for an actress. “I want to put a positive message behind it,” she said. “It’s not about shaming dresses, but about opening up options so that there is a choice.”

As for how she’s resiliently come so far, Wood said it wasn’t always easy. “My biggest challenge I've ever overcome was myself. No one held me back more than me. And no one was meaner to me than me,” she said. “I should be here, and I tried not to be a couple times.”

Wood said therapy helped her overcome her battles. “I got there, and it’s all about learning how to love myself in my messy glory. After all, when you make mistakes, it’s proof that you’re trying.”

Can we get an amen?