Actress Rene Russo has revealed she is bipolar in a revealing new Tv interview.

The actress was promoting her new movie Nightcrawler on Queen Latifah's U.S. talk show when one probing question prompted Russo to open up about her lifelong battle with mood and energy disorders.

The host asked Russo and her co-star Jake Gyllenhaal to talk about something they have had to "push through" in their lives, and the actress fired back, "My mom said my whole childhood... was stop and go. And then I stopped and was like, 'Whoa' - that was it for me. I didn't really expect to say this, but that was really it for me.

"I literally crashed, hit a wall and couldn't get out of bed. I thought it was depression, but if you take anti-depressants it speeds you up more."

Revealing she had never spoken about her secret bipolar battle, Russo admitted she now combats the disorder with medication, and she urges other bipolar sufferers to do the same.

She added, "I have friends who don't want to go on medication, and they are suffering."

The stunned host said, "Thank you so much for sharing that. That can really help some people."

The interview will air in America on 30 October (14).