James Norton is known for his intriguing character Tommy Lee Royce on Happy Valley.
However, the actor explained that his school years weren’t the “best time” of his life due to constant bullying for five years.
Speaking on the Comfort Eating podcast, James revealed: “My school years were complicated. I didn’t have the best time.
He continued: “I was bullied badly for five years and I was at boarding school so I couldn’t leave.”
James mentioned he had a “great therapist over the last four years, and it’s not from a place of drama”.
Even though James had a traumatic experience, the actor admitted he didn’t “suffer from depression or anything like that.
“But the therapy was really, really helpful in understanding what happened to me at school,” the 37-year-old said.
James also revealed that he doesn’t like the “boarding school system” because, according to him, “most of the kids there are deeply homesick.”
“I realized that boarding schools are really weird places. We are the only country that still sends our children voluntarily,” the actor noted.
James explained, “You’re stuck with these people, and all these young kids are just deeply, deeply homesick and they’re just lost.”
“For some of them, this pain manifests itself in being needy or rebellious. But some of them get angry and instead of crying for their mother, they just bully someone,” he said.
Earlier, James appeared on The Graham Norton Show where he discussed his role in Happy Valley.
The actor remarked, “Tommy’s character is a despicable monster, but he’s become really alluring, kind of a weird, aloof friend that you like to see.”
“It’s a huge relief that people like it – after seven years there was no guarantee anyone would want to see it,” he added.