- Actor Joshua Bassett returned to Salt Lake City as part of his book tour on Friday.
- He discussed surviving heart failure, his mental health struggles, overcoming addiction and finding faith in God.
- Bassett also emphasized community, connection and compassion during his speech.
SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of Joshua Bassett fans formed a winding line outside Olympus Junior High School in Salt Lake City on Thursday evening. The crowd — made up overwhelmingly of teenagers and young women — waited eagerly to see the "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" star.
Once the audience settled in their seats, Bassett peeked out from behind the curtains, sending piercing screams through the school auditorium. Moments later, when he finally took the stage, the crowd responded with another wave of cheers, hollering and squeals.
"What a treat to be back in Salt Lake City," Bassett told the crowd. "You guys are way louder than L.A. — way louder!"
Bassett, the actor and musician best known for starring in Disney's "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" — set and filmed at Salt Lake City's East High School — returned to Utah as part of the five-stop tour for his debut book, "Rookie."
After landing his role in the immensely popular "High School Musical" series, Bassett's career quickly took off. During that time, he also grappled with imposter syndrome, mental health struggles, addiction and the pressures of fame.
Bassett's New York Times bestselling book, "Rookie," offers an intimate look at his journey toward self-acceptance and the transformative influence of faith and community in his life.
"I couldn't be more excited to be back here. It's such a special place," Bassett told the crowd, choking up as he tried to maintain his composure.
"Salt Lake City means a lot to me. The good, the bad, the ugly. I've been through a lot here. But it's so cool to come back here to be with you guys. A lot of the chapters in the book were written about times that happened here," Bassett continued. "This is where we filmed 'High School Musical.' This is where I had heart failure, and I've been through the hell of it back here."
"To be on the stage with you guys and to be able to talk and share the story. It's just so awesome. ... It's really an emotional moment for me and so I'm grateful for you all for being here."
Bassett spoke candidly to the audience, opening up about his mental health struggles and how he learned to confront fear and channel his emotions into strength.
The actor led the audience through some simple breath work and shared methods on reducing anxiety and breaking free from fear, including connecting with community and practicing gratitude.
Bassett then talked about his own near-death experience in Salt Lake City and delivered a message about finding hope during desperate times.
Surrendering to God
While filming "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," Bassett nearly died of heart failure.
After a week of feeling miserable, Bassett experienced shooting pain in his left arm — a common indicator of a heart attack. He called his doctor, who attributed the symptom to anxiety and advised Bassett to lie down for a nap.
Moments after following his doctor's advice, Bassett had a "deeply unsettling" sense he was going to die. Through tears, he called his mother and told her he thought he was dying.
Bassett was rushed to a Salt Lake City hospital, where a doctor diagnosed him with septic shock and heart failure and gave him a 30% chance of survival.
Convinced he would not survive, Bassett began writing notes to all the people he cared about. He repaired fractured relationships and let go of long held grudges.
"I continually need to be reminded of what's important in life," Bassett said. "When you come face-to-face with death, it puts a lot into perspective."
Then, in a moment of desperation, Bassett cried out to God for help.
"I didn't believe in God at the time, but something in me knew there was only one way I would survive this. At the end of my rope, I finally surrendered," Bassett said. "'I need help,' I exclaimed to an empty room. Instantly, a chill shot through my body."
Soon after, a nurse took samples and reported that Bassett was "drastically improving."
"I didn't believe in God, yet something rescued me. All it took was an admission of my weakness, that I couldn't do this on my own. After all, I wasn't the one keeping my heart beating or my lungs breathing. How could I ever save myself?" Bassett said.
Bassett's doctors had initially told him he could never be active again, would have to live on a restricted diet and would always have heartburn. After taking the final tests, they found that his heart had been completely healed — a turnaround they had never witnessed before.
"'It's a miracle,'" the doctor said, according to Bassett. "When a medical doctor uses the word miracle — you know it's a miracle."
After the miraculous moment, Bassett still needed a physical therapist to help him learn to walk again, and the years that followed that experience were an emotionally tumultuous period of learning and growth, he said.
Bassett encouraged the audience to learn from his experiences — never take their parents or guardians for granted, let go of grudges and never be afraid to ask for help.
He then sang two of his hits — "Lifeline" and "Look How Far You've Come" — and closed with a message on the importance of community.
"We need to look out for each other. We need to care for each other. So I just want to encourage you and invite you that we can create a better world than the world that we see today. We have to collaborate. We have to connect. Maybe there's someone here you meet that you can go on and do awesome things with in the world," he said.
"I do think that the cure for the state and condition of the world is connection and community and kindness and compassion. I think if we all had just a little bit more of that, we'd see a much different world."
