“Undoing this takes a lifetime”

Richard Armitage, known for his work in “Fool Me Once,” “Red Eye” and Thorin from “The Hobbit,” has revealed details about the homophobic bullying he faced during his childhood and adolescence. The actor, who only came out publicly as gay last year, described the bullying as “physical, violent and verbal,” deeply impacting his youth.

Armitage, who is now about to turn 53, shared his memories in an interview with The Times, where he discussed how those experiences influenced the plot of his new thriller novel, The Cut. In the book, the main character is attacked by a gang of older students, reflecting the actor’s own past and that of many LGBTQIA+ people.

According to Armitage, the bullying began in elementary school and continued for about 10 years. When asked if the bullies knew about his sexuality before he did, the actor replied: “They probably knew before I did, which I think is really sad.”

He also recalled a conversation with his mother in which he tried to understand the reason for the insults: “I remember saying to my mother, ‘Mom, they’re saying that word about me.’ And she said, ‘Oh, that’s not you. You’re a big, strong boy. That’s not who you are.’”

Armitage explained that this response led him to try to hide his sexuality for years, in part because he didn’t want to disappoint his mother. “This was before puberty, and you grow into yourself and become more comfortable, but it’s weird to learn something so integral to your life from other people in a very negative way. That takes a long time to undo.”

By Ezatamentchy