Out British actor-model Zander Hodgson
has revealed that he was bullied at school for being “too feminine
or gay.”
Hodgson, who played a gay hustler in an
episode of Showtime's Ray Donovan, is best known for his
appearances on British series such as Eastenders and
Shameless. He also has a large following on Instagram.
The
27-year-old came out gay in a YouTube video in April.
In a cover story with UK LGBT glossy
Attitude, Hodgson said that he was “bullied a lot at school
about coming across too feminine or gay, and my voice was one of the
give-aways.”
“After leaving school and going to
acting classes, I started to accept and embrace myself more but there
were still battles with my inner voice.”
“When I was told by managers to see a
dialect coach and that I might not book a job if I didn’t, you can
imagine how I felt: to have a professional in the industry confirm my
own doubts,” he
added.
Hodgson also said that he knew he was
“different” at a young age but didn't realize he was gay until he
started being bullied at primary school.
“I knew I was different,” he said.
“It was only when I started being bullied at primary school that I
thought, 'Oh, there is a word for this and maybe that's what I am.'”