Chris Peluso, best known for his roles in Mamma Mia! and Wicked, died on August 15th, at the age of 40. According to People magazine, the actor’s death was originally reported to Playbill by his family, who stated that he died abruptly, exactly a year after he “stepped away from theater work to seek treatment for a schizoaffective disorder.”
However, the precise cause of his death is unknown. According to the news agency, the family has requested privacy to grieve during this trying time.
What is Schizoaffective disorder?
While the cause of his death is unknown, a GoFundMe page was created on behalf of Chris Peluso in September, asking for donations from supporters for his ongoing mental health treatment as he was suffering from schizoaffective disorder. In fact, the fundraiser description stated that the illness “resulted in Chris experiencing debilitating paranoia, which has kept him from performing in recent years.”
Two months later, the fundraising, which had raised more than $25,000, was halted, and Peluso took to social media to announce that his treatment was complete and that he was “stable and doing well.” But he’s gone now, only nine months later.
Schizoaffective disorder, for those who are unfamiliar, is a mental illness in which symptoms of schizophrenia and an affective disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder, coexist.
Chris Peluso suffered from two forms of schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective disorder, as previously stated, is a mental health disorder. According to the official website of the Mayo Clinic, it is a disease in which schizophrenia symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions coexist with mood disorder symptoms such as depression and mania.
There are two types of schizoaffective disease, both of which exhibit signs of schizophrenia. They are bipolar, which involves episodes of mania and depression at the same time, and depressed, which solely includes severe depressive episodes.
The symptoms, however, differ from person to person. However, its distinguishing moments include two weeks of significant mood episodes followed by two weeks of psychotic symptoms, neither of which occur concurrently. Patients should be taken to the doctor right away for an immediate diagnosis.
Delusions, hallucinations, impaired communication and speech, weird or unusual behavior, sadness, anxiety, mania, sleeplessness, diminished professional, academic, and social functioning, and trouble with personal care are some of the key symptoms linked with schizoaffective disorder.
Schizoaffective disorder, if left untreated, can have an impact on the quality and functioning of daily life. In fact, people suffering from this illness are frequently suicidal and should be immediately placed under the care of a mental health specialist.
They may also show indicators of social isolation, interpersonal conflict, substance addiction, poor physical health, and other concerns. Although researchers are still attempting to figure out what causes schizoaffective disorder, they do believe it is genetic.
Chris Peluso’s Career
Chris Peluso was primarily a Broadway actor and performer. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan. Assassins (his Broadway debut), Lestat, The Glorious Ones, West Side Story, Les Miserables, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical are among his famous Broadway productions.
He gained prominence, however, as Sky in the 2008 musical Mamma Mia! and as a touring star in Wicked. Chris Peluso also appeared in the London productions of Show Boat, Miss Saigon, The Woman in White, and Death Takes a Vacation. He also participated in the UK tour of Funny Girl.
As per Peluso’s bio on the Artists and Beyond Website, he was pursuing a master’s degree in therapeutic counseling “to help students navigate the anxieties inherent in a career in the arts.”
Chris Peluso is survived by his wife, Jessica Gomes, as well as their two daughters, Aria Li and Caio Lian.