'Posh Boys' Playing Gangsters: Eddie Marsan on Upper-Class Actors in TV and Film
Eddie Marsan, one of Britain's most versatile character actors known for roles in Sherlock Holmes, Mission: Impossible III, and TV series like Ray Donovan and Supacell, reflects on class barriers in acting.
The Challenge for Disadvantaged Actors
Marsan highlights the difficulty for actors from less privileged backgrounds, stating:
If you want to be an actor in this country, and you come from a disadvantaged background, you have to be exceptional to have a hope of a career.
He contrasts this with the experience of privileged actors:
If you come from a privileged background, you can be mediocre.
Support and Representation
Marsan criticizes concerns from figures like Laurence Fox, who fear greater diversity will "level the playing field." He believes new actors often need financial backing from parents to succeed.
His Personal Journey
Reflecting on his own path, Marsan shares how Mountview drama school gave him an opportunity when he was uncertain about his future. Before acting, he was an apprentice printer:
I came here when I was in my 20s… I was a bit lost, to be honest… I was serving an apprenticeship as a printer when Mountview offered me a place.
Now a vice president of Mountview, Marsan emphasizes the need to support aspiring actors who lack financial resources.
Industry Context
- Marsan remarks on the rarity of fellow actors sharing his working-class roots.
- The industry often favors those from privileged backgrounds who can afford acting as a career.
- This class bias influences casting choices and screen representation.
Author's summary: Eddie Marsan stresses that the acting industry favors privileged backgrounds, making support for talented, disadvantaged actors essential to change representation and opportunity.