Mum and Dad always wanted me to do whatever I was happy doing. I nearly went to art college at 16, but decided to do a BTEC in performing arts.
I was 10, and I played Jim Hawkins in 'Treasure Island' at school, and this great Liverpudlian actor called Andrew Schofield - he was Johnny Rotten in 'Sid And Nancy' - came to watch it, and he had a word with my mum and dad afterwards and told them I should have a go at the Everyman youth theatre. I've never looked back.
I'm a mixed race lad from Liverpool. I get to play a lot of hard characters, and some people perceive that's what I'm like, but it's great for me 'cos they're always the most interesting characters.
There are always certain things that you tap into, your own personal experiences, and I try to base my characters on someone I know or someone I've seen.
If I get the walk of a character, that helps me find them. So I'm constantly looking at airports and train stations, registering walks.
Rudeness makes me very angry.
I like time ticking the way it is.
