Micheal Ward says that "nobody wanted him" to become an actor.
The 25-year-old star is known for his roles in 'The A List' and 'Beauty' but explained that he didn't care for anything except PE and drama at school and received no support in his dreams until one friend encouraged him to "believe in himself."
He said: "I liked PE and I liked drama. I didn’t enjoy anything else so I went for it. There was nobody around me who wanted to be an actor. When I went to [Epping Forest] College to study performing arts, I was the only black guy on my course. I’d be learning ballet and my friends would watch through the window, laughing. My friend kind of saw this light in me. And because he saw it, I started to believe in it. I remember that conversation so vividly."
Meanwhile, Micheal is now starring in 'Empire of Light' - which was released at the beginning of January and tells the story of a young black man who experiences racism - and explained he was inspired to take on the project because his race is "rarely" seen in such a positive light on screen before revealing that co-star Olivia Colman was "really naughty" on set.
He told ELLE UK: "You very rarely get to see someone who is black represented in a way that just exudes love. Olivia has such a playful sense of humour. She really is naughty!"
As part of the portfolio, ELLE UK also speaks to BAFTA-nominated actors Micheal Ward and Daryl McCormack who feature on standalone digital covers, and other rising stars including Anya Chalotra, Rosy McEwen, Jonah Hauer-King, and Dafne Keen.
The March issue of ELLE UK is on sale from 2 February.
