in 2014, understudying for the roles of Gerry Goffin, Don Kirshner and Barry Mann.was started in Sept. on Peluso’s behalf, seeking contributions to help the actor pursue treatment for the serious mental health disorder, which reportedly caused him to experience “debilitating paranoia” that kept him from performing in recent years.
The funding page noted that Peluso lacked health insurance in the U.S. and had left his wife and children to seek treatment at an inpatient mental health rehab center in Tennessee. A Nov. update to the funding drive, which raised more than $25,000, contained a note from Peluso, who said he had completed treatment and was “stable and doing well.” At the time, he wrote, “The new medication I’m on works well to keep my symptoms in check and has minimal side effects. I’m able to hold down a job again and even began taping some auditions. It’s going to be a life long process of going to therapy and working with doctors but I’m so much better than I was before treatment.