Sam Claflin Shares Why Showing His Body on Screen Was So Difficult

Sam Claflin may look confident on screen, but behind the scenes, it has not always felt that way. The actor recently spoke openly about his struggles with body dysmorphia and how it affected him early in his career. He shared these details during an appearance on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast.

Claflin said that filming topless scenes used to cause real fear for him. In the early days of his acting career, those moments often came with little warning. He remembered one of his first movies where a shirtless scene was suddenly added just a week before filming. At the time, he had not prepared physically and felt intense pressure. He said it felt terrifying because it was his first chance to be seen by a wide audience.

The actor explained that these feelings did not come out of nowhere. He believes his body image issues started when he was a teenager. He said he went through puberty later than others and never felt especially attractive or strong compared to the people around him. Those thoughts stayed with him as he got older and moved into acting.

Even now, Claflin admitted that success has not erased those insecurities. He shared that he still finds it hard to look at himself on screen. He talked about attending a recent screening and telling his friends that he hated watching it because he struggles with how his face looks on camera.

Claflin also said the entertainment industry has made things harder over time. The pressure to look a certain way, combined with constant comments on social media, has added to his struggle. He has spoken before about the belief that male leads need perfect abs to be taken seriously.

While he does not blame Hollywood for his body dysmorphia, he said the environment pushed him toward an image that felt impossible to reach. He described this as an ongoing battle. Even today, he sometimes feels like he does not fit the idea of a traditional leading man.

As of February, Claflin is seeing major success on television. He stars with Kaley Cuoco in the mystery thriller Vanished, which premiered on February 1 on MGM+ and Prime Video. The show follows a woman searching for her missing partner after he disappears during a train trip through France. The series has quickly gained strong attention from viewers.

Fans have also been talking about his past role in The Hunger Games. Claflin recently shared that he would love to appear in the upcoming prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, and has been trying to land a small cameo.

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