Owen Wilson is dead. Well, no, actually he isn’t. But that’s what the headlines would have read had things taken a darker turn when the 38-year-old actor attempted suicide Aug. 26.

At first glance, this seems a bit out of character for Wilson. And while it might just be stating the obvious to point out the irony in a comedy star attempting suicide, it’s actually something that deserves deeper attention.

Now, we’ll admit we’re not the first people to ever jump on the “save the celebrities!” bandwagon. Time and time again we’ve run articles criticizing stars for their decadent lifestyles, poor choices and sometimes-disgusting behavior (don’t worry – that won’t stop). But there’s something altogether different this time around.

We can’t take the easy way out and cast off Wilson’s actions as nothing more than a just another spoiled celeb’s childish cry for attention. That just isn’t the case. He was never one of the countless scores of other stars who make bad decisions like it’s part of their job description. All Wilson ever wanted to do, whether you loved or loathed him for it, was entertain.

When it comes down to it, that’s why this is so hard to process. It isn’t just that he was in successful movies, made audiences smile or that he wasn’t part of the whole whorish and horrible Hollywood scene. It’s that, once you get past the man’s salary, it’s obvious all he was trying to do was get by.

Granted, we’re not trying to set Wilson up as some sort of martyr for a cause with this, but it’s still worth talking about. The lack of conversation on the subject of depression seems to play a big part of its continuing prevalence today. And as corny and “movie-of-the-week” as it might seem, without acknowledging that the problem exists, nothing can be done to curb its devastating and life-altering effects.

So yes, the message is clear and simple with this one: This is something that can happen to anyone. The trappings included with a life of fame don’t provide shelter from all of life’s problems, and as we’ve seen in many cases before, they often help facilitate the very self-destruction we’ve been talking about.

Let’s take this as a second chance, just as Owen Wilson hopefully will, dealing with depression as “not just another issue.” It’s important to remember that no one is immune to this. But on the bright side, no one is really alone.