Adrian Lester: ‘I grew up in Birmingham and it’s a city of untapped gold’

“It was like a second home to me. I would wake up, grab my skateboard and shoot off down the road and hang out there all day.”

Adrian Lester CBE was reminiscing about his youth at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), a part of his Birmingham upbringing that was vital for helping to nurture his love of theatre, dance and of course, television.

He has fond childhood memories of spending summers at the MAC in Cannon Hill Park. “We didn’t have the money to go on holiday so we always just hung out in the city,” he said. “When I was growing up, it was all brake dancing and hip hop before any of it was trendy.

“I remember for 20p, you could go to the MAC on a Sunday, and they’d have three DJ’s set up. Different crews from all over Bimingham would come and practice together in a space they could hone their moves, and share their moves.”

Adrian, who now lives in London with his wife Lolita Chakrabarti and their children, was back in Birmingham for the day and spoke to BirminghamWorld from the city’s Grand Hotel, which hosted the Birmingham Film & TV Market, (BFTM), of which Adrian is the ambassador.

The market provides a way for creative people in the city to meet and pitch their ideas to top executives from some of the biggest production companies in the UK. Those who were lucky enough to get meetings had to submit material months in advance, but Friday (October 27) gave Birmingham creatives the chance to meet with some of the biggest production companies. The opportunity to help showcase the city’s talent felt like a great opportunity for Adrian.

‘There is untapped gold in this city and every industry should know it’

Adrian, 55, who is also on the board of Trustees at Birmingham Rep, said: “I love people being creative and and trying to look forward as a community.

“I think Birmingham apologises for itself too often. People come here and they think ‘why haven’t I been here before?’ – they’ve only been here twice, but people within the industry don’t always seem to have a direct reason to come to Birmingham and the city doesn’t accept the weight in which it can punch.”

He’s passionate about Birmingham’s potential, and believes the BFTM could unlock more of its creative talent. “There is untapped gold in this city, and every industry should know it,” he said.

Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight launched a new multimillion-pound TV and film studio in Digbeth earlier this year. The studios have been used to film Knight’s new BBC inspired music drama, This Town, and will also be used for many other film and television projects in the UK.

Adrian says the city needs to maximise its potential. “If you say to people who are born and raised in Birmingham that if you have creative ideas you can stay in your home town to pursue them, then that’s a huge thing, and it can be done here. Then once you’ve finished education in Birmingham, you’re first thought doesn’t have to be ‘I need to move to London’.”

When Adrian was growing up, creative opportunities were more limited in the city. He grew up in Edgbaston, living near Dudley Road and Summerfield Park. His aunt worked at the Queen Elizabeth hospital and his mum worked as a secretary for the city council.

He sang in the choir of St Chad’s Cathedral and at 14, he began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre. The MAC was also important for his progression creatively.

After studying at Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College in Balsall Heath, he got into London’s RADA, an opportunity he had to take. As a young actor he gained prominence as a talented performer in the West End, winning an Olivier Award for his turn in Company, and he played the title roles in productions of Hamlet and Henry V.

A lifechanging role

But his life changed drastically in 2004 thanks to his lead role as Mickey Stone in the BBC crime drama Hustle. “I’d done film and single dramas and lots and lots of theatre but I wasn’t known on television before I did Hustle,” he said.

“People said ‘that’s your big break’ - but it did change everything because I was suddenly recognisable to people. I found I was walking into places and they would say ‘Hey it’s you’ and that’s not something I’d ever really liked.

“Some people have an idea that they’d love it if it happened to them. Hustle meant I was recognisable to many more people and that means you can’t just wonder around the shops, which is fine, it’s part of the job.”

As a father and busy actor, he seems slightly relieved that it doesn’t happen as often as it used to. “Hustle has been off screen for many years and normally people now point and go: ‘I think I know you’. But all of that is part of the job, you can’t ask for that success but say you don’t want the responsibility that comes with it – that won’t work.”

Adrian has gone on to appear in some huge films, such as The Day After Tomorrow, as well as staring in the play The Lehman Trilogy, which was directed by Sam Mendes. He has also been linked with one of the biggest lead roles in British television over the years.

Doctor Who rumours

During the reboot of Doctor Who in 2005, there were rumours that Adrian was being lined up to play the Doctor, and he was also linked with replacing Peter Capaldi in the lead role in 2017.

Adrian says he did consider the role during the show’s reboot.

Speaking about the 2005 links, he said: “I did consider taking it. You make the inroads and ask the questions to show your interest, but if they’re not interested you move on. I liked the role but if the interest isn’t there at the time I was interested in being part of it then you have to move on.

“Also, it was a case of you go to Cardiff for five or six years, and i’d been a dad and I didn’t want to disappear every summer, and it’s a long shoot. I think the reason why it never actually came to me fully since that time is that I was probably doing something else.”

It’s certainly inspiring for young actors and creatives to see what Adrian has achieved having come from humble beginnings in Edgbaston.

He added: “A few people have said ‘you’re the reason I’ve started acting and the reason I thought I could do it’. That makes me proud. The fact Hustle worked in that way at the time it was on with the demographics that were front and centre in our industry - it made a little ripple and changed a few minds and i’m really proud of that.”