Are you passionate about performing? Do you love being on stage?
Then you are in good company, as some of the world’s biggest actors hail from the South-East of England.
Here are just a few…
Mark Rylance
Sir David Mark Rylance Waters, to give him his full name, was born in Ashford in 1960, although his initial stay in the county was short, his parents moved to USA in 1962.
Rylance returned to England in 1978 and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). This was the beginning of an artistic career that has led to an Oscar, three BAFTA Awards, two Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards and his subsequent knighthood in 2017.
Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts rose to prominence playing a tormented journalist in the 2002 horror re-make of The Ring. The following year she was Oscar nominated for her performance in the psychological thriller, 21 Grams.
Watts was born in Shoreham and endured somewhat of a nomadic childhood that saw her move from Kent to Wales and to Suffolk, before moving to Sydney, Australia when she was 14.
In 2013 she received a second Oscar nomination for The Impossible and has been an in demand actress ever since.
MacKenzie Crook
MacKenzie Crook, famous for his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, was born in Maidstone and grew up in Dartford.
He got his first main role in Channel 4s The Eleven O’Clock Show in 1998, but it was when he was cast as Gareth Keenan in Ricky Gervais’ The Office that he became more widely known.
Two years later, in 2003, he starred in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film and has since gone on to write, star and direct many TV and film productions.
Orlando Bloom
On the subject of Pirates of the Caribbean, another of its stars hailed from Kent. Orlando Bloom was born in Canterbury, and as a teenager earned a scholarship to train at the British American Drama Academy.
He made his acting debut in Wilde in 1997, but it was playing Legolas in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy that made him famous, it was a role he gained just two days after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama!
Bloom retains strong links with his hometown and has been presented with an honorary degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury Cathedral.
Gemma Arteton
Gemma Arteton, born in Gravesend, has very strong links with North Kent College, she studied acting at our very own Miskin Theatre at our Dartford campus!
Her first film role came in the 2007 film St Trinian’s, before she came to the public’s attention the following year in the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.
Since then Arteton has remained in constant work, and runs her own production company, Rebel Park Productions, which focuses on creating female-led content in front of and behind the camera.
If you are interested in acting, then there is no better place to study than North Kent College. Our highly acclaimed Miskin Theatre, situated at our Dartford and Tonbridge campuses, has been graded as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for 21 years!
Our industry professional theatres and studios provide the perfect environment to train in your chosen specialism and our team of professionals will offer you training which is unrivalled in the country.
To find out more visit the Acting course page on the North Kent College website or visit the Miskin Theatre website.