The Spotlight Prize 2025 Finalist

What made you want to be an actor?

Being an actor was only ever in the back of my head – I never felt good enough to pursue it. It wasn’t until I went through quite a dark period of my life and, basically, hit rock-bottom that I sat myself down and said, “I have nothing left to lose, what do I actually want to do with my life?” That’s when I realised that the one thing that brought me joy at that time was when I would write little scenes and act them out by myself. Maybe that sounds ridiculous, but it worked, and it became like a lifeline for me. That’s when I realised I want to be an actor.

What kind of actor do you aspire to be?

I’ve found that I have a love for so many different types of acting: stage, screen, voice work, stage combat, and so many more. For me, the one thing I aspire to do as an actor is help people. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s true – whether I’m able to educate someone, make them feel less alone, able to be themselves or have a difficult conversation, or if I can just make them laugh when they need it. We live in a dark time, and I can’t do much to help, but I can act and I can write and, hopefully, even if it’s just one person, I can help someone in some way.

Who in the industry would you like to work with?

I’ve been re-watching a lot of shows that I used to love and seeing what new inspiration I can get from them. Like Motherland: Fort Salem. I love how the show handled representation and put so much care into the characters and their identities without making it seem stereotypical.

Two animated shows that I’ve recently re-watched for the hundredth time are Arcane and Blue Eye Samurai. Both have incredible artistry, animation and voice acting, and the writing has been fantastic.

One thing I’ve taken from all three of these shows, and others, is that an audience can tell if you care about the show you’re working on or not. It really does make a world of difference to the quality of what’s made.

What would be your dream role?

In my head, every British actor has this as their dream role, but I have to say ‘the Doctor’. I’ve been a Doctor Who fan since I could walk, and I always found the Doctor to be so relatable as this strange outsider who never really fits in but is always just trying to help.