Luke Evans Reveals “Terrible Anxiety” Regarding His Body Image

Welsh actor Luke Evans has disclosed that he experiences “terrible anxiety” stemming from insecurities concerning his physical appearance. During an appearance on the podcast How To Fail With Elizabeth Day, he stated, “I still sometimes go to the gym and just feel very anxious.” He further elaborated on his self-perception, saying, “I look at myself in the mirror and just go, ‘you don’t look good enough’, or ‘you’re letting it go’.” The 45-year-old Hollywood star is recognized for his performances, including Gaston in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and the titular character in Dracula Untold. He commented on the pressures of his profession, stating, “I look at my face – the terrible part of my industry is that you’re just reminded constantly of the decades of film you’ve done when you had not a crease on the face and not one grey stubble, whereas all my stubble is now grey.” He added, “And just so many things I keep being reminded of, so I’ve had to learn to be kinder to myself, but I have terrible anxiety about feeling good enough physically.” He acknowledged, “Part of that isn’t completely bad, I think it gives you a little something to fight for, but it can be overwhelming.” Born in Pontypool, Evans is recognized for undertaking numerous physically demanding roles. He recently discussed his upbringing as a gay individual and a Jehovah’s Witness, noting that he is among a small number of openly gay actors cast in Hollywood as straight leading men and action heroes. His breakthrough performance occurred in 2010 when he portrayed Apollo in Clash of the Titans. Subsequently, he appeared as the antagonist Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6, reprising the character for Fast & Furious 8. Nevertheless, he disclosed that he can still experience discomfort when displaying his physique. He recounted, “I’ve been on a beach just recently and I didn’t want to take my T-shirt off.” He continued, “I don’t want to be in that place. I know I shouldn’t feel like that, but you know, we are sensitive creatures, we’re very delicate.” He concluded, “As hard as I may look, I am quite delicate.” He mentioned that if he were not an actor, he would “probably let it all go.” He explained, “Staying fit and in a certain physical fitness level now is definitely doing my job.” He added, “I wouldn’t care so much, but it is part of my job.” He elaborated, “I get cast in certain roles that require a certain amount of physical strength and aesthetic. It’s been good because it’s probably kept me on the straight and narrow.” His most recent role was in the action film Weekend in Taipei, directed by George Huang and co-written by Huang and Luc Besson. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.