Acting was something my parents knew I had a talent for, so they encouraged me throughout my schooling. When I got to the crossroads, that was my A levels year, I asked the Lord where he wanted me to be and when he gave the answer, it was entertainment.' '

I fell in love with the craft of acting. Breaking down a scene, finding the beat, understanding character motivation – all of these things became real to me on a level that I had never before appreciated. It was more than just memorizing lines; it was excitement and never in a million years before this, did I think that this would be a job for me. And that was exciting as well!

I’ve always taken an interest in theatre. Taking part in school plays was a passion that continued to grow in me and made me realise how strongly I felt about acting. Growing up, my mother used to take me to see plays all the time and I remember telling myself that I was going to do this one day. In fact, I actually started my acting career in theatre.

When I was younger and started acting, I wasn't good at sports and didn't have any other special talents. Acting was my after-school activity. I never planned on growing up and becoming an actor. I always wanted to go to school and become a veterinarian so I think when I got older and suddenly realized that it was my passion, it was just a natural moment. I never felt pushed. My family has always supported me completely and kept me grounded. I never got lost in child Hollywood actor weirdness.

Actors talk about a love of craft and contributing to artistic welfare. But, really, I think [the desire to act] came for me from wanting more attention from my parents.

I’ve always had the passion for acting since I was a kid. It just had to be acting

I found a way to express myself. The others thought I was playing a character, but actually I was living behind the character. I could release my emotions, and the others didn't know that was me. That's the reason I love acting so much. I wasn't asking for fame or money - it was the natural high I got addicted to.

Acting was always something I wanted to do, I remember playing a school teacher in a church play when I was young. I had so much fun doing that, so when the opportunity came up I took it.

I was a super shy, awkward kid, and performing was a comfortable and joyful way of expressing myself that allowed me the freedom to do so. The passion for acting grew from there. From the time I was little, being on the stage or inhabiting a character was always where I was happiest.

Other than knowing how to act, I have also learnt to be a better human being. I always wanted people to say I was a good actor or a good singer. When they did, I would always feel secretly proud of myself. That feeling is gone now.

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I realised acting could be a creative experience.

I think everyone has what it takes to be a good actor innately within them. It’s really about connecting to your own humanity and your own behaviors, and getting to a level of self-awareness so that you can have perspective and step outside of yourself and transform and become another person. You can’t become another person if you’re not self-aware; you wouldn’t know what’s changed. [But] the ability to play pretend is something that everyone has access to; you see little kids doing it. On the spectrum of imagination, there are people who are more imaginative than others—I guess some kids are hardcore pretenders and have imaginary friends for years and other kids play and they have fun, but it’s not quite as specific like that. I’m sure there’s a range, but I think everyone can pretend.

I became an actor because it was the only thing I could do. I didn't have any friends, I didn't fit in. But when I started acting everything in my life shifted and I felt happy.

I started acting at a very young age but as I got older I wanted to hang out with my friends and do the school thing. I only really got serious about it in the past couple of years.