Inbetweeners star James Buckley says there are 'no pros to being famous'

Speaking on his podcast, the actor said he felt a constant pressure to be 'on' when leaving his house and that having people take photos of him gives him anxiety

Actor James Buckley has spoken about his struggles with fame and the anxiety it has caused him.

Responding to a fan question about the pros and cons of fame on his podcast Complete Load of Podcast, the Inbetweeners star said apart from “getting a table at a restaurant or people being really helpful when you go into a shop”, he couldn’t think of any pros of being famous.

“The cons are... not being able to relax,” he said. “Not being able to feel like you’re not ‘on’ when leaving the house, at any point. I don’t wanna winge about it, but it does make me anxious. It makes me very self-conscious.”

“I’m accidentally famous,” he continued. “I’m not built to be famous. I’m not a star. So being stared at, people taking sneaky pictures of you...”

Buckley, who rose to fame playing the sex-obsessed Jay Cartwright on the Bafta-winning E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners, clarified that he enjoys meeting fans who approach him to say they like his work, or ask permission for a photo.

“But I feel constantly on edge,” he said. “I’m getting closer and closer to never leaving my house again.

“I am struggling with it, and I’m not even that famous,” he added. “I’m not Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, but I really struggle with it. It’s something I find really difficult. People taking secret pictures of me... it fries my brain. Just come and talk to me, I’d love to talk to you. That’s gonna make my day.”

Buckley concluded by pointing out the impact fame can have on a person’s mental health, “and you cannot put a price on mental health”.

Addressing whether he would change careers, he joked he was “not intelligent enough to have a proper job”.

“I never wanted to be famous, I just wanted to make people laugh on television,” he said. “And it is a job I absolutely love. But you will become a bit insane.”

Since starring in The Inbetweeners, Buckley has appeared in a number of film and TV roles, including the Steve Coogan fantasy comedy Zapped!