Held at Birmingham’s iconic Council House building, David talked to a capacity crowd about growing up in Birmingham, his illustrious career on stage, TV and in film over the last 30 years and his recent BBC documentary ‘David Harewood: My Psychosis and Me’. 

Quotes from David at the event:

Talking of his childhood in Birmingham he said it was “full of laughter and fun”.

He said of his schooldays at Washwood Heath: “I wasn’t particularly academic. I was disruptive. I wasn’t a terror, I just used to mess around all the time and I loved to make people laugh.”

He said he thought he would probably work at the BSA factory in Small Heath until his teacher Eric Reader called him in, a week before he was due to leave, and  said “We think you should be an actor”.

He said: “I didn't even know what an actor did or how you could become one.”

But he won a place at National Youth Theatre and then RADA, helped by a grant from Birmingham City Council. 

And he said: “I would love to do something in my Brummie accent but all my jobs are in America!”

He continued: “I would love to come back to Birmingham. 

I want to act, direct and work with young people in the community and in schools.”

On his recent BBC documentary he said: “I felt really nervous but I have never had a reaction like it. People in the street keep saying ‘thank you’ and that has given me great confidence.”

He also revealed that he is an admirer of Peaky Blinders saying: “I would love to be in Peaky Blinders!”

The event was produced in partnership with Film Birmingham and BBC WM.