At the age of 13, Luke Evans faced an impossible choice – either be true to himself and embrace his sexuality, or stay true to God. If he told his Jeh
At the age of 13, Luke Evans faced an impossible choice – either be true to himself and embrace his sexuality, or stay true to God. If he told his Jehovah’s Witness parents that he was gay, they would be honour-bound to inform the church elders, and that would be the end of life as he knew it. If he didn’t tell them, he would be forced into a world of deceit or denial. He chose God.
Evans became the youngest boy in his south Wales congregation to be baptised. He formally and publicly devoted his life to Jehovah. If he came out as gay now, he would be banished from the church. All upstanding members of the congregation, including his mother and father, would be expected to break off contact with him, to act as if he was dead or simply had never existed.
Today, Evans is a Hollywood regular, cast in blockbusters such as Fast and Furious 6; in The Hobbit trilogy as Bard the Bowman; in Tamara Drewe and Blitz as a love interest for Gemma Arterton and Zawe Ashton respectively, and in Immortals as the Greek god Zeus. He is one of few out gay actors cast as straight leading men and action heroes. But what a punishing odyssey he has been on to get there – one that involves running away from home at 16, living the lie that he had always feared, being expelled from his church, and eventually coming out as gay, twice – once in the UK when starting out in musical theatre, then years later in Hollywood as a superstar.
Evans has now written his memoir, Boy from the Valleys. It’s a sober title for a remarkable and shocking story. The 45-year-old grew up in Aberbargoed, a tiny town in south Wales that was home to the largest colliery waste tip in Europe. It also contained an improbable number of devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, two of whom were his parents.
He describes his father, David, as being the “Harry Styles of the Valleys” – waif-like, handsome, beautiful skin, floppy hair. On 31 December 1975, David decided to devote himself to Jehovah because he had heard that Armageddon was happening that night, and he wanted to be on the right side. He rushed over to his girlfriend Yvonne to tell her the news. God was about to destroy the wicked, resurrect the dead, and transform the Earth back into a paradise where the righteous could live in harmony, free from violence, disease, and death.
By the time he was seven, his peers had decided he was different in another way. That’s when the name-calling got worse – “Bender”, “Gay boy”. Sometimes the insults were accompanied by floppy-wrist gestures. At first, he didn’t even know what it all meant, or why he was being targeted. But it didn’t take him long to work it out.
One of the most hurtful things was being pushed away. Somebody not wanting to sit next to him in class. At break time, not having anyone to hang out with or being safe in a crowd or gang. I didn’t have one. The girls who were Jehovah’s Witnesses had their own group and everyone else just seemed to merge into their little group and I didn’t find mine. That was the hardest part. It’s a terrible thing for a child to have to think, what’s wrong with me? I felt like I was dirty, like I had a disease. I had to keep analysing what it was about me that was making them do this: was it my voice? Was it that I was slightly effeminate?
By the time he was in secondary school, he knew he was gay. He wanted to tell his mother that he was being bullied, but couldn’t. He was terrified he would go door-knocking with his parents, and one of the bullies would open the door and hurl homophobic abuse at him. My mam and dad had no idea I was going through all of that. But when I was in a situation where this could be exposed to them, it terrified me.
He was expected to shout his allegiance to Jehovah from the mountaintop. Whenever he entered a new class at school, it was his responsibility to address his teacher and fellow pupils about the rules of his religion. At secondary school, there were nine Jehovah’s Witnesses, but as the only boy, he was designated to do the explaining. “I had to stand up and say, ‘We don’t do Christmas, we don’t do Easter, we don’t do birthdays, and we don’t do assembly in the morning.'”
His peers taunted him as “Jovey” or “Bible-basher”. But that was just the start of it. By the time he was seven, they had decided he was different in another way. That’s when the name-calling got worse – “Bender”, “Gay boy”. Sometimes the insults were accompanied by floppy-wrist gestures. At first, he didn’t even know what it all meant, or why he was being targeted. But it didn’t take him long to work it out.
He has written about his life in his memoir, Boy from the Valleys. It’s about his early years, his parents’ devotion to Jehovah, his own struggles with his sexuality, and how he navigated the world as a gay boy in a Jehovah’s Witness household.
Conclusions:
Luke Evans’ story is a testament to his strength and resilience in the face of adversity. From a young age, he faced incredible challenges, from being forced to hide his true self to navigating the complexities of his parents’ faith. Despite these obstacles, he has emerged as a strong, confident individual who has carved out a successful career in Hollywood.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What was Luke Evans’ experience like growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness?
- He was actively involved in the faith from a young age, including door-knocking with his parents and attending local Kingdom Halls.
- How did he come to terms with his sexuality?
- It was a difficult and isolating experience, and he felt forced to hide his true self in order to avoid rejection from his family and community.
- How did he navigate the challenges of being an out gay man in Hollywood?
- He has spoken publicly about his experiences, including the struggles he faced due to his sexuality and the scrutiny he faced in the media.
- What is his current relationship status?
- He is in a long-term relationship with his partner, Spanish architect Fran Tomas, and they have started a fashion and lifestyle business together.
- What is his current project?
- He is working on a new film, playing a straight character, and has also continued to focus on his music career, releasing two albums of cover songs.
COMMENTS