British actor Sam Claflin has spoken openly about living with body dysmorphia, telling Fearne Cotton that he remains “incredibly insecure” about his appearance and has struggled with the condition since his teenage years.
In a new episode of Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, released on February 3, Claflin described how the pressures of acting and unexpected demands to appear shirtless early in his career intensified those feelings.
Claflin, 39, is known for his roles in Love Rosie, Me Before You, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Enola Holmes, The Hunger Games, Peaky Blinders and Daisy Jones & The Six. His decision to speak openly drew immediate praise from listeners, many of whom applauded him for bringing visibility to body dysmorphia and for showing a level of vulnerability that remains rare among men in the public eye.
In the episode, titled Sam Claflin: “I Needed to Ask for Help!” Finding Strength and Sensitivity in Masculinity, the actor told Cotton he has long struggled with how he looks.
“I’m incredibly insecure,” he said. “I just went to a screening of a film I was in, and everyone immediately afterward, the director, the producers, ‘How was it?’ I was like, ‘I hated it,’ and it’s my face I don’t like; I don’t like me.”
Claflin said he believes his body dysmorphia traces back to adolescence.
“I have like a form of body dysmorphia I think,” he added. “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…I think it’s sort of stemmed from that, but also being in the industry that I’m in, especially now the entire world has the opportunity to have their opinion; it really affects you.”
Claflin recalled one of his earliest professional experiences, when he was told at short notice that he would be required to remove his shirt for a scene.
“I had like a topless scene in one of my first movies, but wasn’t told; it wasn’t in the script, and I got told like a week before they were going to take my top off and I was like, ‘**** I haven’t been working out; what am I going to do?'” he told the broadcaster. “I’ve been massively affected by it, and I think I’d say most guys are, but mine got quite bad.”
Fans responded with messages of support following the episode. Several took to the podcast’s Instagram account, @happyplaceofficial.
One viewer wrote: “And here we all are watching our screens thinking: ‘look at this beautiful human.'”
Another commented: “I worked with Sam as a medical adviser on Me Before You. He was a lovely man.”
Others highlighted the wider impact of Claflin’s honesty.
“So brave to talk about this so openly. We need more of these honest conversations (especially from men),” one listener said.
Another added: “Such a breath of fresh air listening to this. It’s so good seeing people, especially men open up about such an important topic that affects so many.”
Claflin’s openness has been widely welcomed by those who say that greater visibility and honest discussion can contribute to better understanding and support for people living with body dysmorphia.
Newsweek reached out to Happy Place and Claflin’s representatives for comment via email.