Luke Evans is opening up about suffering “terrible anxiety” over insecurities about his body image.
“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,” the actor, 45, said on Wednesday’s episode of the “How to Fail with Elizabeth Day” podcast. “It doesn’t go away.”
Evans, known for his roles in films like “Dracula Untold” and Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” where he’s shown off his fit physique, was honest about how aging has affected his self-esteem due to the nature of his career.
“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,’” he said. “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.”
The “Weekend in Taipei” star then got candid about how a recent beach trip triggered his insecurities.
“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.”
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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.”
The “Hobbit” star then stressed that although people see him “outwardly presenting this strong character,” he also “suffers with insecurities and lack of confidence and self-worth and all those things,” calling it a “common” experience.
“There’s a little boy inside of me — we all carry our little kids, our little people, [and] they’re with us all of our lives,” Evans said. “The one I carry was bullied and I didn’t like who he was and I have that with me now, but as an adult I understand it more and so it doesn’t consume me. It doesn’t stop me from doing stuff.”
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The “Murder Mystery” actor explained that despite having lingering anxiety about his body image, he’s found a silver lining amid his self-doubt.
“I’ve had to learn to be kinder to myself,” he said. “But I have terrible anxiety about feeling good enough physically [and] part of that isn’t completely bad — it gives you a little something to fight for.”