Sam Claflin took a break from acting after he 'lost sight' of himself

Sam Claflin has revealed that he took a break from acting after he "lost sight" of himself.

The British actor has opened up about taking a nine-month break last year to focus on his mental health after reaching a low point.

In a recent interview with Bustle, Sam shared that he had placed too much importance on what other people thought of him in the past.

"What's difficult about this industry and about being an actor and about being a people pleaser within this industry is I really care about what people think and I was always looking for reassurance," he said. "I lost sight of who I was and what made me happy. I was always trying to impress people, please other people, but I wasn't really happy in myself."

The Me Before You star, the third youngest of four sons, explained that after some soul-searching, he realised he had spent much of his childhood trying to emulate his two older brothers.

"I was sort of forcing myself to be them, but I wasn't them," he acknowledged. "The chameleon style, the people pleasing, that's where that was initially initiated."

The 39-year-old also noted that, like many Brits, he had developed a stiff upper lip growing up, which he has since let go of.

"I never saw my dad cry. I never saw my mom cry," he shared. "But (my kids) have seen me cry and I have an honest conversation with them."

He added that his daughter, eight-year-old Margot, who he believes "has definitely been on this planet before", recently offered him a piece of advice.

"I was crying about something and I was like, 'I just don't know what I should do,'" the Daisy Jones & The Six actor recalled. "She was like, 'If you want it that much, go and do it. Stop crying.'"

The Hunger Games star shares Margot and son Pip, 10, with his ex-wife, actress Laura Haddock.