Hollywood here I come – Young Actors Theatre pupil Franz Drameh’s bid for stardom
Published: 24th June, 2011
by PAVAN AMARA
A FORMER pupil of one of Islington’s most popular theatre schools is starring in the latest big-screen blockbuster with Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost.
Eighteen-year-old Franz Drameh has vowed to take on Hollywood after being cast as Dennis by director Joe Cornish in Attack The Block, straight after working with Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon in the 2010 release Hereafter. “Clint Eastwood was the most down to earth guy ever,” said Franz. “I could nearly imagine him as the sort of guy who lives near my flats or something. He was so normal.”
Franz, who grew up in Hoxton and started attending the Young Actors Theatre in Barnsbury Road when he was 12, signed with the school’s agency at 14.
“They sent me to loads of auditions for The Bill and Casualty, and I used to get so nervous. I’d try and think: ‘Cool it, man. Just read your lines and get out of there.’ Now I’m pretty relaxed at auditions, because I’ve got a lot more experience.
“I just wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Young Actors Theatre. There is no way. That place is amazing.”
Angel is Franz’s “patch”, where he first became drawn into the world of film while socialising with friends at the N1 Centre. “The number of films I’ve seen in the Vue, I can’t even tell you. That is my cinema, my place, my patch. I used to sit there watching film after film, so it’s weird when I meet these people now.
“I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Angel. It’s where I grew up, as an actor and as a boy. It’s like a part of me. I bet you, now that I’m 18 I’m gonna be hanging out in all those bars too, so you should catch me in there. Then after I get bored of that, I’m gonna get into Hollywood.
“Every Saturday after classes, me and my friends used to go over to the N1 Centre and start busting out moves. We’d just go right in the middle and start doing freestyle break dancing. Everyone was like: ‘What are these fools doing?’ But we would carry on with it. We used to have such a laugh.”
Franz’s mother, Kerry, who still lives in Hoxton, is an inspiration to him. “She’s not just my mum,” he said. “She’s my friend. She’s funny, kind, thoughtful, and I love her so much. I am blessed to have both my parents. I know that no matter what happens with the films and stuff, they’ll always be there for me.”