Emun Elliott

I actually wanted to be a forensic scientist for a while. When I was doing my Standard Grades, three of them were science subjects. The interest in science didn't wear off, but I found other interests. ”

Drama made me happy. Being on stage made me feel alive. But I did what a lot of people do, and that's follow this path of leaving school and going to university. It was only at university that I realised the only thing that would make me a satisfied man was to do what I loved. ”

I'm definitely not your stereotypical actor: the loud, cackling type who strolls into a room and grabs everyone's attention with a great story. I've always been much more of a listener. ”

I'd like to enter in and out of that big budget world, rather than staying in it. It's not the case that the bigger the film, the better it is. ”

As an actor, you have to get used to being told no, develop a thick skin, and just keep persevering. ”

It's more enjoyable when I'm disguised in some way; stepping into someone else's shoes is part of the reason why I became an actor. ”

I prefer to think of myself as able to represent all walks of life. ”

At school, I was a shy lad and still am. But acting gives me licence to be up there, demanding the focus. It's the one time in my life where I don't have to shout to be heard. ”

I'd been wanting to work with James McAvoy since I was in drama school. I suppose there are parallels in that we're Scottish, we went to the same drama school and share the same agent, but aside from that, he's someone I've looked up to. ”