Wolverine Actor Tim Pocock Escaped A Cult, Survived Gay Conversion Therapy, And Now He’s Telling It All
Many will know Tim Pocock from his roles as the young Scott Summers in X-Men Origins: Wolverine or as Ethan in the popular series Dance Academy. His face is familiar on screens big and small. In a recent, powerful interview with Eugene Sun in Instinct Magazine, he reveals a personal story, not far removed from any film’s compelling narrative. And it’s one of hardship, survival, and immense strength.
It started with an innocent crush during mass.
For many men, the moment of realisation hits in the most unexpected places. For Pocock, it was in church. He recalled the feeling of his first crush on another boy, describing the moment with a quiet clarity.
“I kind of realised, ‘Oh, that’s how the women in the movies that I watch look at men.’”
It was a pure and simple spark of recognition, one that occurred in an environment that would soon try to extinguish it.
His school, Redfield College, had connections to Opus Dei, a deeply conservative Catholic organisation, creating a setting where his feelings felt like an affliction. “It felt like a disease that maybe puberty would cure,” he said. “But it didn’t.”
The family confrontation and a sinister ‘cure’…
The private struggle eventually became a family drama. Pocock shared the memory of his mother discovering his stash of gay porn and spreading it across the dining room table. “She kept saying, ‘Is this who you are? Is this what you have become?’” The confrontation led to a deeply damaging chapter.
At his mother’s urging, he was sent to a “Catholic psychologist” who revealed he was a member of Opus Dei and specialised in hypnotherapy for homosexuality. What he endured was a form of conversion therapy, an experience he has since called “psychological rape.” It’s a stark reminder of how doctrine can be used to inflict incredible harm, even by those who believe they are helping.
He’s now using his voice to protect others.
Today, Tim Pocock’s life is his own. He is out, in a loving relationship with his partner, and is using his platform to ensure others do not suffer the same way.
At DNA, we’ve seen many turn pain into power, but Pocock has taken it a step further. He was instrumental in the campaign to outlaw conversion therapy in New South Wales, giving a voice to the voiceless.
He has also written a book for his younger self, titled The Truth Will Set You Free. “I get to be that voice now,” he stated, confirming he wrote it for every young person made to feel broken by their identity. His story is not just one of survival, but one of turning that survival into a shield for the next generation.
