What famous characters could be described as bipolar? — Page 2

Henrik-Joan Crawford was a real person. Now how real that portrayal of her in "Mommie Dearest" is could be questioned. (The source is her daughter, Christina Crawford's book.)I think the film as a basis for judgment kind of gives the impression she had mood swings. (She also drank heavily, at least in the film.)

Although it does stand to reason that there might be some elements of the way Burroughs portrayed her that might not be entirely truthful. At least I believe that's how she saw it.

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To add to the list, I REALLY hate when people say "I'm so schizophrenic on this issue." It doesn't even make sense!

madbrian: That joke is made by people who confuse schizophrenia with dissociative identity disorder.

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Updated On: 8/11/11 at 02:08 PM

I don't think it's insulting or ridiculous to have that conversation at all. One of my favorite literary discussions is in fact the mental state of Sherlock Holmes and whether or not he had a mental disorder and how that contributes to the understanding of the stories Doyle wrote. It's actually a fascinating discussion given that mental illnesses weren't clearly diagnosed at the time the way they are today, so Doyle must have been writing on his own experiences with patients or possibly a friend.

There is much to be gained from the discussion, since talking about a character's mental state could easily give rise to an idea of their motivation. If you don't think a musical character deserves to be read into that much, you demean the art form. It's a common topic when talking about classic plays including Ibsen, Miller and of course Shakespeare. Why not musicals too? Not to mention it's a bit fun.

So, I'm not going to deprive myself of that. Throwing a few beyond just bipolar out there:

Mrs. Lovett- BPD (if you believe in that disorder)
Sweeney- sociopath
Sally Bowles- BPD
Stine (City of Angels) - schizophrenia!
Oscar (Sweet Charity)- Panic disorder
Nathan Detroit- Pathological gambling
Caroline (Caroline, or Change)- depression (?)
Frederik (A Little Night Music)- Schitzoid personality disorder
Cora Hoover Hooper (Anyone Can Whistle)- Narcissistic Personality Disorder

And of course, the various assassins in 'Assassins' each have their own string of crazy based on their respective historical figures.


I don't see the harm in the exercise, I don't see how it's insulting either. I know from the Sherlock Holmes discussion that many people I've spoken with about it frequently like to 'claim' Sherlock as their own disorder- it's quite funny to watch how frequently it happens actually.

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"a condition characterized by excessive detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings"

Of course, we could chalk it up to adolescent awkwardness, but he does seem introverted (or something to the like) to the nth degree.

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Just a small correction.

You don't just give someone with bi-polar disorder Prozac (an anti-deppresant). Without a good mood stabalizer (Seroquel, Lamactal, Lithium), you're looking at a Charlie Sheen.

She's also crazy. Or maybe just deranged.

I always thought of the depiction of Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park to be typical of someone with Asperger's. Not a mental illness, I know.

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Probably not bipolar, but Rapunzel in Into the Woods (Act II) is definitely a nutcase.

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^ Moritz probably had/has clinical depression.

I don't know what she has, but Rose Havoc (in real life and the musical) was a little cray-cray.

Dorothy Gale. Crazy as a rat in a tin ****house, that one.

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