It wasn't until I got involved in 'Doctor Who' that I started doing dramas on television.
I used to do a Saturday drama group called Young Blood Theatre Company with school-friends in west London - nothing to do with my mum and dad. A casting director came to pick people out for a new BBC children's series called 'MI High.' She picked me, I auditioned, and I got the job.
I think it's always exciting when 'Doctor Who' touches its past.
In England, 'Doctor Who' has always been considered a children's show, at least by children.
We're big fans of the show on BBC, and some of the greatest actors in film and television have done this character, from Basil Rathbone to Nicol Williamson to Michael Caine. (Executive producer) Rob Doherty came in with the pitch last season, it was immediately a show that we gravitated towards.
I'm obsessed with 'Call The Midwife.'
Whether people watch Doctor Who or not over here, everybody knows about it. It's a British icon, it's so part of the nation.
It's a fez. I wear a fez now. Fezes are cool.
I remember telling people I booked this job; they were like, 'What is it called?' I was like, 'Peaky Blinders,' and they were like, 'What?' It sounds ridiculous, but I like it because there's an instant intrigue about the name.
As soon as I got my proper first job, I never did acting again. I think the last thing I did was a Mike Figures film, and then I got a series with the BBC. I'm glad of the experience, because I think it's very, very good to understand what actors go through.
When I went back and watched a couple of the older 'Doctor Who' episodes, I could see why some people felt the show had been quite sexist.
I'd love to do something totally different on TV like a period drama, but if I did go back to soap acting, then it would have to be with 'EastEnders.' I just couldn't go anywhere else.
In the States a lot of Hispanic and black audiences are gravitating towards 'Peaky Blinders.' A mate of went into a bar in Santa Monica and sent me a photo of four blokes dressed as Peakies - they meet every week for a 'Peaky Blinders' evening.
'Doctor Who' was my first telly job, and before that I did a lot of theatre in education, children's theatre.
I left the Army in 2000 and went into industry before I started appearing on TV in 2003. My best job there was on a series called 'Crafty Tricks Of War' for the BBC. I loved that because it celebrated how clever and inventive people are and the ingenuity that goes into solving problems.
I've downloaded the BBC's 'Cranford' with Judi Dench because I like a bit of bonnet acting, and I can turn it on and off without worrying about whether I can follow what's happening.
If you are a fan of my BBC series 'Great Continental Railway Journeys,' you'll probably not be surprised to learn that one of my great aspirations is to travel on Egypt's railways.
