Sam Claflin strips it back for Flaunt’s Issue 200, Joy Is Contagious. In the new cover story, the British actor is photographed by Dean Isidro (Atelier Management) and styled by Charlie Ward (See Management). Grooming by Ryann Carter (Opus Beauty) has Claflin looking photo ready.
Claflin leans into a tension he knows well: control versus vulnerability. The photo shoot outfits him in various brands, such as Perry Ellis, Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, and Saint Laurent, a lineup that moves between tailored polish and louche off-duty wear.
Sam Claflin for Flaunt
For Flaunt, Claflin retraces a career arc that refuses to be pinned down. Once the fresh-faced actor in Pirates of the Caribbean and The Hunger Games, Claflin took detours through romantic dramas like Me Before You before moving into darker terrain with Peaky Blinders and The Nightingale.
Claflin’s latest turn as Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones & The Six won him renewed acclaim, and next comes Lazarus, Harlan Coben’s thriller about a psychiatrist navigating grief, necromancy, and family fracture.
Claflin is candid throughout. On acting, his criteria remains simple: If a script moves him, “it’s a sign.” Vulnerability, he insists, is power: “I connect with [roles] where I lean into my experiences and my emotions and use them as my superpower.”
He does not shy away from darker truths either, warning of self-deception: “When you lie to yourself to such an extent that you then start believing the lie, that’s a toxic behavior.”
For all the talk, Claflin’s purpose lands modestly: “I love my job. It’s a huge passion of mine, but we’re not saving lives. We’re entertaining people.” His hope remains stripped of grandeur, ending with the simplest of goals, “Well, I hope they’re entertained.”
