One Of The Things The Bbc Does

I Consider Myself A Human Being, A Christian, A Father, A Husband, So Many Things, Before Being A Black Person.

I Have A Bee In My Bonnet As To How Few Black Historical Figures One Sees On Film; Incredible Stories, Stories From Which We Are Living The Legacy And Which Just Don't Get Made.

When I Am Playing A Role Far Away From Me With An Accent That Is Not Mine I Always Employ A Dialect Coach. I Am Almost Always Playing Someone That Has An Accent That Is Not Mine.

I Know I Had My Equivalents In Adrian Lester And Lenny James When I Was At Drama School. I Remember David Harewood Doing 'othello' At The National, And Adrian Lester Having Done Cheek By Jowl's Famous 'as You Like It And Company' At The Donmar. Not Necessarily Performances I Saw, But Just The Fact They Happened Was Massively Encouraging.

One Of The Occupational Hazards Of Being An Actor, The Reason Why So Many Actors Are Insecure, Is That The Only Way We Know We're Good Is When Other People Tell Us.