Ive had plenty of lessons about film acting and theatre acting.

Every time I go out in London, I'm not always with my guys. I have three female friends that I'll go out with all the time. I'm the only guy there.

My dad is a minister and my mum is a worker with the less fortunate and the disabled. They're Nigerian natives. Their first language is Yoruba, and their second language is English. My mum and dad moved to London when they had my eldest sister. They started a life in London as immigrants, and they built up from there. They're no actors in my family, but there are definitely animated black people in my family.

I love theatre. I think it's the home of most actors...most actors start with it. It's so enjoyable to do and to be able to see your audience. And the process of theatre is great.

You take your audience through such a story where they have to invest their energy and emotion, and to slap them in the face with, "Well, this is how life is. Bye," wouldn't have been as great as the ending that we have, which is optimistic and hopeful. It's not happy 100%, but it does make you feel like, "This kid may just be okay."

It's amazing that people still feel, 'Oh my gosh, it's a black guy.' We've been here for a long time; let's get used to it. Let's get used to other cultures.

You could easily play the guy as straight-up hood throughout the whole movie, the Imperial Courts, but writer and director Malik Vitthal envisioned a human being that has never been seen before in film: a black man in circumstances that he does not like, who is passionate - persistent - in turning it around.