Nov 29
Luke Evans Admits to Body Anxiety Issues in Candid Interview
READ TIME: 5 MIN.
Luke Evans appears to be one of the most confident stars in Hollywood; with or without a shirt. It turns out that isn't the case, as the HuffPost observes. The 45-year-old A-lister admitted to suffering "terrible anxiety" over insecurities about his body image on Wednesday's episode of the "How to Fail with Elizabeth Day" podcast.
"I'm not massively confident about a lot of things about me, but I've learned to deal with it and not ignore it and understand why and process it. It doesn't go away."
He elaborated on his anxiety. "I still sometimes go to the gym and just feel very anxious. I look at myself in the mirror and just go, 'You don't look good enough,' or 'You're letting it go.' 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 gray stubble, whereas all my stubble is now gray,"
"I've had to learn to be kinder to myself, but I have terrible anxiety about feeling good enough physically. Part of that isn't completely bad [because] it gives you a little something to fight for, but it can be overwhelming."
What triggered the subject was a recent incident. "I've been on a beach just recently, and I didn't want to take my T-shirt off," the Welsh actor said. "I know I shouldn't feel like that, but, you know, we are sensitive creatures."
Evans continued, "I did finally take my T-shirt off on the beach, but it took me about three Long Island iced teas and a bit of confidence, and then I took my top off."
Evans was on the podcast to promote his autobiography, "Boy From the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey," (For more on the book, visit Evans' website. In their review, The Guardian calls the book an "unusually affecting and original memoir." In it he "recounts his upbringing as a youthful Jehovah's Witness in the 80s, when his faith was compromised by his, and his family's, growing awareness of his homosexuality." They also write that "Evans writes insightfully about being 'the first openly gay action hero', but it's the quiet poignancy of the earlier chapters that lingers."
Amongst his action roles are Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast," Owen Shaw in the "Fast & Furious" franchise and Girion in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." More recently he appeared on Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" and opposite Billy Porter in the gay domestic drama, "Our Son." He also starred in the recent "Weekend in Taipei," His upcoming films include Dan Levy's directorial debut "Good Grief," (12/29/24 in theaters; 1/5/25 on Netflix, playing Levi's husband. Evans has been open about his personal life and is presently in a relationship with Spanish architect Fran Tomas. They confirmed their relationship publicly at a gala in December, 2022. With fashion stylist Christopher Brown, Tomas and Evans started
