David Dastmalchian has been on some of Hollywood’s biggest screens — from Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight to Ant-Man, The Flash, and The Suicide Squad. But behind the roles, he’s faced real struggles with grief, loss, addiction, and mental health.

In this conversation, David opens up about the battles he’s fought off-camera: addiction recovery, coping with loss, and learning how to navigate mental health while building a career in Hollywood. He shares how creativity, connection, and honesty have shaped his healing journey — and why talking openly about pain is vital in breaking the stigma.

This is a rare, candid side of David Dastmalchian — the man behind the movies — that shows resilience, vulnerability, and the humanity beyond the Hollywood spotlight.

@dastmalchian on Instagram

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ABOUT:

DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio engages death a little bit differently. Each new guest shares their experience with grieving or perspective on death in a way that shatters the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn't end; it evolves. Having lost his father on September 11th when he was 12, he learned the importance of discussion and sharing other people's stories. DEAD Talks Podcast hopes to make it a little easier to talk about grief, loss, death, mourning, trauma, or whatever it may be. You may cry, but you also may laugh. ⁠

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