Ten years ago South London actor Paul Anderson wasn’t an actor at all, he was a ticket scalper and aspiring musician, who longed to be a lead singer in a band. Then he was inspired to go to drama school- the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

His break came in 2013 with the role of post World War I gangster Arthur Shelby Jr. In PEAKY BLINDERS. His other TV appearances included DOCTOR WHO, MIDSOMER MURDERS and LEWIS. Major films followed including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Oscar-winning THE REVENANT and Ron Howard’s IN THE HEART OF THE SEA.

He made his West End debut in the title role of Moliere’s TARTUFFE at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last week. I caught up with ‘Boycey’ as he is known to friends and fans on Saturday at the stage door, where he signed this rehearsal sketch I drew of him for me.