Tovey has spent years forging a career on stage and on screen, starting his career as the Rudge in the Alan Bennett play The History Boys.
Since then his career has gone from strength to strength, playing a moralistic werewolf in Being Human, a love-struck twenty-something in Him and Her and a former MI6 agent in Quantico.
Having previously owned the largest modelling agency outside of London, Dyson was approached by a manufacturer of mobility equipment, who was looking for wheelchair users to model its products. Together, they launched a modelling competition, receiving over 600 entries and international press interest. The agency has grown and now represents more than 80 actors, presenters and models.
Why did you decide to set up VisABLE?
Actor David Harewood spoke about his bumpy road to success – including the tough life lessons he learned from Spike Lee and from Erik Estrada of CHiPs – in a candid and entertaining homecoming evening in Birmingham.
During the RTS Midlands’ “In conversation with…” event, the Homeland star enthralled the audience in the prestigious surroundings of the Council House’s Banqueting Suite.
It’s become an old saying now, but if you can make a living doing what you love, then you’ll never have to work a day in your life. That has certainly been what it’s felt like for me. The hardest thing to deal with is what happens when you're not able to work, and you either have to take another job or just be frustrated and wait. There’s all sorts of disappointments waiting for you, and I think the measure of professionalism in our career is how you handle disappointments, not how you handle success.
The actors won regional heats before taking part in competing in a national final in December 2016 where Channel 4 selected their top 10.
Channel 4 have committed to exploring ways to develop the 10 winners’ careers.
The 10 selected actors are Hannah Margaret from Leeds, who was also crowned national champion, Adaya Henry and Joanna Gay winners of the Birmingham heats, Frances Pooley the Leicester winner, Winston Sarpong, winner of the Essex MonologueSlam, and Connor Mills, Maia Watkins, Richard Rowe-McGhie, Debra Baker and Kayla Meikle from London.
The broadcaster is partnering with Triforce Creative Network and MonologueSlam UK to support up and coming actors from all backgrounds across the entire UK.
MonologueSlam UK is a scheme running across the UK which offers professional actors the opportunity to perform a monologue before a judging panel of industry professionals.
Twenty-two actors will compete in the final in London in December in front of key industry decision makers and a Channel 4 drama commissioner, with 10 finalists going on to explore working with Channel 4 Drama.
