Nicholas Galitzine says his fame has made him feel like a 'cut of beef at a meat market'

Nicholas Galitzine has found it hard to adjust to his newfound fame.

“I think the most important thing to me is that I’m taken seriously as a performer," the 29-year-old actor said in a recent interview with British GQ. "I'm not gonna ask you to cry me a river here, but it’s been difficult being part of a conversation that feels very much like I am a cut of beef at a meat market.”

In the casting room or among thirsty fans? Both, Galitzine clarified, elaborating on his unease. "I think that being my defining feature is something I’m constantly terrified of.”

Galitzine gained a legion of fresh fans after starring opposite Taylor Zakhar Perez in the popular queer romantic comedy Red White & Royal Blue. In the interview he called Perez an "Adonis," adding, "It was difficult in some aspects, being so closely compared to him.”

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His heartthrob status has reached a fever pitch with his latest role in The Idea of You, in which he plays a twentysomething boy band singer who begins an unexpected romance with a 40-year-old single mother, played by Anne Hathaway. The film is adapted from Robinne Lee's 2017 novel of the same name.

Elsewhere in the interview, Galitzine addressed his complicated feelings over playing gay roles as a straight actor. The British star currently headlines historical drama series Mary & George, playing the queer son of Julianne Moore in the story of the Countess of Buckingham.

“I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories,” Galitzine said. “I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt. At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality."

Ultimately, Galitzine said, “I am Nick, and I’m not my role."