I guess you could say that acting is in my blood as my mother and my father are both actors, my grandfather was a theatre musician and my grandmother was a singer and dancer. I suppose it seemed normal for me to perform for family and friends and I certainly wasn't shy while growing up. I actually used to enjoy the attention and I still have many enjoyable memories of the whole family singing and dancing together.
That's why it came as no surprise that I started going to Drama school from the young age of six. I attended classes there every Saturday for almost 10 years. We were taught how to sing and dance, as well as act, so I was quite good by my teens.
Once I'd left school, I went to drama school in London full-time to do a degree. I must say that at that time, and for a period of about six months, I needed a break. I had spent my whole childhood acting and it felt like I had missed out on so much.
So I started partying with friends, danced the nights away and slept late most mornings. It was only when my personal tutor told me that I was on my final warning that I realised it was time to stop. Partying was great but I was about to lose everything I had worked so hard for all these years.
After the shock of that realisation, I got my act together very quickly, went back to classes and workshops and soon after, I ended up graduating with a first. I had always been confident about my acting skills but it was then that I felt truly ready to. get myself out there professionally. A few months later, The Royal Shakespeare Company gave me my first real role and I acted alongside some great names in the world of the stage. Now, of course, I'm better known for my Hollywood roles and people will probably be amazed to hear that I started my acting career as a Shakespearean actor, But it's true; this is how it all started.