Sam Claflin battled body dysmorphia
The Hunger Games star admits he never saw himself as a "leading man" when he embarked on an acting career and he felt like he had to go to extremes to get in shape to fit in among his peers.
He told The Telegraph newspaper: "I was always really short until I was 18, so I never thought of myself in any way as a leading man ...
"I assumed I'd become a character actor. When I was cast in Pirates [Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides], I thought: 'What on earth am I doing here?' ...
"There is this Hollywood assumption that it's the men with the six packs who sell the movie. So there was a pressure that that was what I needed to look like.
"As a result, I developed a form of body dysmorphia. It wasn't quite an eating disorder, and I'm not blaming anyone but myself, but it was definitely because of the industry I'm in."
Sam went on to insist he's become much better at talking about his feelings as he's grown up and he eventually realised he wanted to prioritise having a family over his Hollywood career.
The actor - who has two children with his ex-wife Laura Haddock - added: "We're men and we are not allowed to talk about our feelings.
"But I've got much better. These days, I'm definitely not afraid of speaking about how I feel. And I also realised I didn't want a career in Hollywood. I wanted to come home and become a dad."
Sam previously admitted he pushed himself too far in a "desperate" to be nominated for an Oscar.
He told GQ Hype: 'I went through a stage of desperately vying for an Oscar but doing things that were really not me. Physically, emotionally transforming myself.
"[2018 film The Nightingale] was too far the other way. I think that was the turning point in my life. I don't think I could do that again.'
However, Sam realised his acting career and vying for awards masked deeper issues.
He said: 'One of the reasons I became an actor is that I always want people to like me. I think it's only recently dawned on me that I try so hard to make other people happy that I don't know who I am.
"I'm from Norfolk [in the UK] but I've just adopted an accent that no one can really put a flag on. It's an amalgamation of other people's accents. Over time I'd sort of lost, I don't know … What makes me happy?"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Bonnie Tyler wants to record next James Bond theme
Bonnie Tyler has offered to record the next James Bond theme. The veteran performer previously turned down the chance to record the title music for 1983's Never Say Never Again - which starred Sir Sean Connery but was not made by Eon Productions - and Bonnie admits she'd love to be given another shot at singing a theme for 007. She told The Telegraph newspaper: "I'd love to do a Bond theme because I turned one down for Never Say Never Again. My God, I was so excited when they asked me, but then I heard the song and I didn't believe in it. "So, please, if anybody's reading this, I wish they'd ask me again because I want a Bond song." The theme for for Never Say Never Again was recorded by Lani Hall after Bonnie turned it down. The next Bond movie will be the first produced by Amazon MGM Studios following the surprise departures of long-term producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The hunt is on for a new actor to play the lead role, but studio bosses have already hired Dune moviemaker Denis Villneuve to direct and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been brought onboard to write the script. There has been no word on who will get the honour of performing the film's theme, but bookmakers William Hill recently tipped Raye and Dua Lipa to be among the frontrunners alongside other stars including Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey and Ed Sheeran. Last month Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: 'After Denis Villeneuve was revealed as the director of James Bond 26, talk of who will sing the theme song has really begun to hot up. "Following her blistering performance at Glastonbury, Raye is our new 6/4 favourite to do the honours, jumping ahead of Dua Lipa in the betting, who is now 5/2. "The top five in the betting are all female artists, with Chappell Roan, Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga all towards the top of the market. The most likely male options look to be one of Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles or Michael Buble, all of whom are 20/1 shots."
Perth Now
12 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sam Claflin battled body dysmorphia
Sam Claflin suffered a form of body dysmorphia because of the "pressure" he felt to achieve the perfect Hollywood physique. The Hunger Games star admits he never saw himself as a "leading man" when he embarked on an acting career and he felt like he had to go to extremes to get in shape to fit in among his peers. He told The Telegraph newspaper: "I was always really short until I was 18, so I never thought of myself in any way as a leading man ... "I assumed I'd become a character actor. When I was cast in Pirates [Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides], I thought: 'What on earth am I doing here?' ... "There is this Hollywood assumption that it's the men with the six packs who sell the movie. So there was a pressure that that was what I needed to look like. "As a result, I developed a form of body dysmorphia. It wasn't quite an eating disorder, and I'm not blaming anyone but myself, but it was definitely because of the industry I'm in." Sam went on to insist he's become much better at talking about his feelings as he's grown up and he eventually realised he wanted to prioritise having a family over his Hollywood career. The actor - who has two children with his ex-wife Laura Haddock - added: "We're men and we are not allowed to talk about our feelings. "But I've got much better. These days, I'm definitely not afraid of speaking about how I feel. And I also realised I didn't want a career in Hollywood. I wanted to come home and become a dad." Sam previously admitted he pushed himself too far in a "desperate" to be nominated for an Oscar. He told GQ Hype: 'I went through a stage of desperately vying for an Oscar but doing things that were really not me. Physically, emotionally transforming myself. "[2018 film The Nightingale] was too far the other way. I think that was the turning point in my life. I don't think I could do that again.' However, Sam realised his acting career and vying for awards masked deeper issues. He said: 'One of the reasons I became an actor is that I always want people to like me. I think it's only recently dawned on me that I try so hard to make other people happy that I don't know who I am. "I'm from Norfolk [in the UK] but I've just adopted an accent that no one can really put a flag on. It's an amalgamation of other people's accents. Over time I'd sort of lost, I don't know … What makes me happy?"
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘hated' Telstra ad went viral. Blame Mick Jagger, North Korea and footballers
When Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes sat down with Telstra 's creative team +61 and advertising agency Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, the Oscar-nominated directors were handed a commercial project with a 'very open brief'. Among other controversies – some yet to emerge – Australia's largest telco had just started paying $24 million in penalties and refunds after it was found to have wrongly charged customers for the third time in three years. Smith & Foulkes' job was to deliver, with London-based production house Riff Raff Films, a distinctive advertisement that would alert Australia to Telstra's refreshed brand ethos. 'The whole idea was that wherever our main character went, he went with ease, knowing he was in step with his duet partner (Telstra),' says Bear Meets Eagle On Fire founder Micah Walker. Seven months later, Smith & Foulkes presented their client with what would, less than a year on from its premiere, be publicly voted in July as Australia's most unforgettable advert. And most hated. As put by one punter on YouTube: 'My stepbrother was lying dead next to a footy stadium at half-time. This ad came on, and he woke from the dead just to run for the lives of his ears!' 'People engage in their own way, and we welcome that,' says Telstra's chief marketing officer Brent Smart. 'We've seen fans have different reactions based on whether their team is up or down. At the end of the day if people are having a bit of fun with it, we're OK with that.' Adverts drawing the ire of the masses is not unusual; just look at Sydney Sweeney's recent 'Great Jeans' campaign for American Eagle, which has devolved to accusations of the label 'leaning into eugenics'. Telstra's Duet, however, is a whimsical, visually spectacular journey through mystical forests, caves, the outback and beyond, set to the Bee Gees/Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton's mollifying Islands in the Stream. What could possibly be controversial about that?
