Sam Claflin is candidly opening up about his moments of self-doubt, sharing that he often feels "incredibly insecure" when it comes to his perception of his own body. During a recent appearance on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, the 39-year-old actor discussed the struggles he's faced with body dysmorphia.
"I just went to a screening of a film I was in, and everyone immediately afterwards, the director, producers, [said] 'How was it?'" Sam recalled. "I was like, 'I hated it.' It’s my face I don’t like. I don’t like me." He added, "I think I have a form of body dysmorphia."
The Hunger Games star traced the roots of his issues back to his adolescent years and not feeling like he fit in during Physical Education class. "I think that may have stemmed from my being a teenager and hitting puberty late and not feeling like I was good-looking, or too short, or not strong enough," he shared. "I remember a P.E. class specifically where I couldn’t do a pull-up when everyone else in my year was doing pull-ups, and I just felt incredibly embarrassed."
For Sam, those feelings carried over into his career as an actor. "Being in the industry that I’m in, and especially now that the entire world has the opportunity to have their opinion, I think it really affects you," he explained. "I had a topless scene in one of my first movies, but wasn’t told; it wasn’t in the script."
"I got told like a week before they were going to take my top off," Sam added. "And I’m like, ‘S--t, I haven’t been working out. What am I going to do? This is like my first introduction to the world.’”
Sam also shared that his thought process has impacted his everyday routine. "I really overthink everything, so I will skip meals," he detailed. "I don’t eat breakfast; I have a juice in the morning, and I work out doubly hard if I’ve had a bad meal the night before. I try not to drink as much alcohol anymore. I try to get as much sleep because I overthink and don’t do that. It’s a real struggle. It’s an everyday struggle."
Indeed, Sam admitted that he is aware of his problems and is trying to move forward. "I’m sort of in the process of working through that and being aware of it," he said. "Trying to embrace it, but it’s a challenge."
The Me Before You actor is looking forward to entering his 40s with a new perspective. "I’m not miserable by any means; I’m very happy, and especially now as I’ve kinda got older," Sam—whose birthday is in June—said. "People try to wind me up that I’m nearly 40. It’s a good thing. I feel more healthy and happy now than I did in my 20s and my 30s. I feel like I know better who I am."
What’s more, being a father to kids Pip, 10, and Margot, 8—whom he shares with ex Laura Haddock—has given him a greater purpose. "I’m a dad, and I embrace that role with all of me," he explained. "And I think I was born to be a nurturer. Having kids has sort of given me my life’s purpose. And I’d love to have more. I just love to spread that love because I think that’s what I was made for. That’s what I believe."
