Most people think a podcast on masculinity means chest-beating and political echo chambers.

But this one’s different. James Sutton is a famous British actor, podcast host, and someone I disagree with on many things—philosophy, politics, even what it means to be a man.

But what happened next surprised me.

Instead of debate, we had one of the most honest and respectful conversations I’ve ever had—about loneliness, success, mental health, and how modern men are quietly falling apart while pretending they’ve got it all together.

Once, James found himself mired in toxic habits, numbing himself with alcohol, estranged from friends and family, and lost in a life that appeared stable on the surface but was unraveling within.

Today, he’s sober, focused, and helping men heal through honest conversations.

Whether you’re rebuilding your life or just looking for answers, this is the one conversation you didn’t know you needed.

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James didn’t hit the kind of dramatic rock bottom you hear in recovery circles.

There was no explosion. No scandal. No hospital bed. His life fell apart quietly. On the outside, he had it all—a successful acting career in the UK, a long-term relationship, and a familiar routine. But internally, he was crumbling. He was drinking too much, self-sabotaging, and showing up half-present in his relationships. “I wasn’t being a good husband, a good son, or even a good friend,” he admitted.

“I was worn out. Sick. Anxious. Just… done.”

Then COVID hit. And with it, the noise stopped. No more distractions. No more travel. There was only silence—and the reflection in the mirror.

Locked down with his then-wife, the cracks became impossible to ignore. The behaviors he’d been numbing himself with for years became unbearable. “We came out the other side and I just thought, ‘I’m done. I’m done being this person.”

But instead of launching into some grand reinvention plan, he started small. “I bought a bench and some weights. I put them in the spare room. And I started lifting. Every day.”

That single hour a day became his anchor. From there, he began building a new life.

Brick by brick. Body first. Then mind. Then soul.

The deeper we went, the more it became clear: James wasn’t just rebuilding himself. He was rethinking what it even meant to be a man.

“I think we’ve sold young men a lie,” he told me. “We’re telling them to be strong, rich, jacked, and emotionless. And then we wonder why they feel broken.”

We talked about the suicide crisis among men. About how society encourages emotional suppression while demonizing traditional male traits. About the loneliness epidemic—especially for men under 30. “Men are checking out,” he said. “Because they’re lost, and no one’s telling them it’s okay to speak up.”

He wasn’t pushing some abstract theory. He was living it. Vulnerability, for James, isn’t weakness—it’s survival. “There’s nothing braver than raising your hand and saying, ‘I’m not okay.’”

It wasn’t all kumbaya either. We disagreed on plenty—especially around politics, masculinity, and identity. But that was the beautiful part. There was no canceling. No finger-pointing.

Just two men holding tension and still choosing to connect.

Today, James is in a different place.

He’s sober. Healthy. Still acting. Running a podcast. Writing a book. Starting a tech company. “I’ve got a lot of plates spinning,” he laughed. But underneath the busyness, there’s a centeredness you can feel. A man who’s rebuilt himself from the inside out—and isn’t done yet.

His secret? Relentless self-respect.

“You have to be your number one priority,” he said. “

No one else is going to do it for you. And that means making hard choices. Saying no. Cutting people off. Writing shit down. Planning your day the night before. Just taking your life seriously—finally.”

He wasn’t preaching. He was testifying.

And you know what? we both completely agreed on this too:

Male Minds Do Matter, so go and listen to his podcast now

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