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Luke Evans, an actor known for his roles in films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Hobbit, and Fast & Furious 6, has opened up about the difficulties he faced growing up as a gay man in a Jehovah’s Witness community. Speaking on BBC Radio Wales’ Lucy Owen programme, Evans explained that he felt he had no choice but to fit in and hide his sexuality during his early teens, as he knew he would be expelled from the community if he came out. His religion also meant that he was unable to perform in any school shows as a child, which he found extremely difficult.
Evans said that although he disagreed with some aspects of the religion, he didn’t want to “put his mum and dad through that”, and felt he had to “make the best of a situation” by hiding his sexuality. He added that he experienced bullying as a child because of his religion and sexuality, which made things even more difficult for him. However, he remained close to his parents throughout this period, and came out to them when he was 19 years old.
Although Evans was disfellowshipped from the religion after he was discovered to be gay by the Jehovah’s Witness elders in his early 20s, he has found success and happiness in his career and personal life. He now hopes that his new memoir, Boy from the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey, can help others who may be going through similar experiences to know that “there’s something better” ahead.
Evans is one of the few out gay actors to be cast as a straight leading man and action hero in Hollywood, which he admits has been difficult to navigate at times. However, he remains grateful to be able to do the work he loves and hopes to inspire others to do the same, regardless of their background. His interview with Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales will be broadcast on 13 November and will be available to catch up with on BBC Sounds
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