Eric Clapton has admitted he "sabotaged" every musical pursuit he ever started

A continuous theme to the 'Layla' hitmaker's personality, which director Zanuck chose to pinpoint, was how Clapton would just start getting onto a good thing with each of his groups, including The Yardbirds, Cream and Derek And The Dominos, and then he'd move on to the next thing.

The 'Tears in Heaven' songwriter - who has a net worth of around $250 million - has also admitted to never being concerned with how much he'd earned or spent over the years, despite the movie showing a young Clapton making his first ever purchase, his impressive Hurtwood Edge mansion in Surrey, England.

Speaking at a Q&A conducted by former Squeeze star Jools Holland at the UK premiere of the movie held at London's BFI Southbank on Wednesday (10.01.18), the 'Wonderful Tonight' star explained: "About the time [Derek And] The Dominos broke up [1971]. That thing of calling my band The Dominos was me trying to back out of everything. I still don't know how much money I've got or how much I've spent. I deliberately avoid knowing, because I'm a working class boy. It seemed like my life, from the minute I started to listen to blues music ... it was all about obscurity and mythology. I sabotaged everything I got involved with that started to look like it was going to be a success."

Zanuck suggested that Clapton moved on swiftly because he didn't want to become a "sell-out".

She said: "It was also anytime it appeared to be a sell-out. Like when The Yardbirds wanted a pop hit.

"Eric was about being true to the music that he wanted to play. A lot of the time these exoduses weren't to sabotage anything. He didn't want a hit."

Agreeing, Clapton concluded that he wasn't "comfortable" with popularity.

He said: "I see. [laughter] Yes, it is based on a loyalty to the music I was listening to. I wasn't that interested in phenomenal success unless it was really worthy. Ray Charles, for example, was a huge success and was comfortable with it, and I don't really understand how that can be.

'Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bar Blues' hits cinemas on Friday (12.01.18).