November 29, 2024
Luke Evans Admits to Body Anxiety Issues in Candid Interview
READ TIME: 5 MIN.
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
Evans 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."
And added that if wasn't for his career, he would likely cancel his gym membership.
"Staying fit and in a certain physical fitness level now is definitely doing my job," he explained. "I'm sure if I didn't have to go and take my top off on a movie set every now and again, I'd probably let it all go. I wouldn't care so much, but it is part of my job. I get cast in certain roles that require a certain amount of physical strength and aesthetic. It's been good because it's probably kept me on the straight and narrow."
He also discussed his self-confidence (or lack of). "I walk down the street or in a bar or in the gym and look at some guy, and he's like super confident, and I'm just like wow, and it just seems effortless. When I do, it's a whole lot of work when I have to present that. I'm not massively confident about lots of things about me, but I've learned to deal with it, not ignore it and understand why and process it, but it doesn't go away."
Here's a look at Evans' career through his Instagrams:
