Sam Claflin, who has flaunted his abs in films such as “The Hunger Games” and “Me Before You,” says he can relate to females who have been body shamed during production.

The 30-year-old British actor has acted in a number of heartthrob roles on screen, including Finnick in The Hunger Games movie, William in Snow White and the Huntsman, and Will in Me Before You, and claims he has been publicly criticised for his weight while on set.

The Me Before You star opened up about his experiences in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.

He said, “I read in an interview recently and I think it’s absolutely true: men have it just as bad,”

“Well, not just as bad but they get it bad and it’s never talked about.”

Claflin continued, “I remember doing one job when they literally made me pull my shirt up and were grabbing my fat and going ‘you need to lose a bit of weight’. This other time they were slapping me. I felt like a piece of meat.”

The actor admitted that he is still “insecure” about his appearance and that he will go weeks without eating in order to achieve the physique that producers desire.

“I’m not saying it’s anywhere near as bad as what women go through but I, as an actor approaching each job, am insecure — especially when I have to take my top off in it — and so nervous,” he admits. “I get really worked up to the point where I spend hours and hours in the gym and not eating for weeks to achieve what I think they’re going for.”

Claflin went on to make some good observations regarding the variations in expectations for male performers in previous eras vs today’s Hollywood model. “James Bond never had a six pack. He had a hairy chest. Marlon Brando​ in A Streetcar Named Desire had an incredible body but he was by no means ripped to within an inch of his life. There’s a filter on society that this is normal, but actually it’s anything but normal.”

Claflin isn’t the only male celebrity who has spoken out against body shaming. Chris Pratt responded to critics who said he had lost too much weight with a witty Instagram post in March.

He added, “Well, just because I am a male doesn’t mean I’m impervious to your whispers. Body shaming hurts.”

Sam Claflin will next be seen opposite Rachel Weisz in the gothic thriller My Friend Rachel, which will be released in UK theaters on June 9.

It depicts the narrative of Philip (Claflin), a young man who is visited by his mystery relative (Weisz), who may or may not have had a hand in the murder of her first husband – Philip’s previous guardian.