Sam Claflin feared topless scenes because of body dysmorphia
The Hunger Games star Sam Claflin has recalled how he dreaded shooting topless scenes on screen because of his struggles with body dysmorphia.
Sam Claflin hated filming topless scenes because of his body dysmorphia.
The Hunger Games star has opened up about his struggles with body confidence and recalled being petrified when he was told that he would be taking his top off in one of his early movie roles.
Speaking on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, Sam said: "A lot of the roles I played earlier on in my career - I had a topless scene in one of my first movies, but it wasn't in the script and I got told a week before they were going to my top off. I was like, 'S***, I haven't been working out, what am I going to do?' This is my first introduction to the world."
The Lazarus actor feels that his body dysmorphia may have stemmed from the fact that he hit "puberty late" and didn't feel as if he was "good-looking" or "strong enough" during his adolescent years.
Clafiln explained that he still feels uncomfortable now whenever he sees his face on screen.
The 39-year-old star said: "I'm incredibly insecure. I just went to a screening of a film I was in and everyone immediately afterwards (asked), 'How was it?' And (I was like), 'I hated it'. It's my face I don't like."
Sam explained that his struggles have been exacerbated with the industry he works in and the fact that others can comment on his appearance using social media.
He said: "I've been massively affected by (body dysmorphia). I'd say most guys are but I would say mine got quite bad."
The Pirates of the Caribbean star revealed last year that he suffered from body dysmorphia because he felt "pressure" trying to attain the perfect Hollywood physique.
Sam 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."
