The Blame star Douglas Booth has opened up about his dyslexia and how it impacted his school years and helped shape his acting career.
The Blame features Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth(Image: ITV)
Actor Douglas Booth is starring in the upcoming ITV drama, The Blame.
The 34-year-old may be playing DI Tom Radley in the broadcaster’s upcoming crime drama, but he didn’t always have acting on the agenda. When he was growing up, the star originally wanted to go down the music route after having trouble in school.
He recently told Radio Times that as he’s dyslexic, he had ‘always struggled’ when it came to the academic side of school, which meant he had to use the creative side of his brain.
Douglas revealed that he wanted to be a jazz musician and played the trumpet from a young age. However, he ended up feeling ‘on my own’ when people around him started picking up guitars and being in rock bands.
It wasn’t until he auditioned for a school play and later joined the National Youth Theatre that he discovered his passion for acting, which he called a ‘great way’ to express himself, and he later attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Saturday school.
This month, viewers will see him play DI Tom Radley in The Blame, alongside Michelle Keegan, who will take on the role of DI Emma Crane. The six-part series follows the two officers taking on a murder investigation.
However, things take a dramatic turn when the inquiry descends into a murky world of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise, reports OK!.
When speaking about filming the crime drama, Douglas told ITV that the main thing which stood out for him more was getting to work with the stellar cast.
He commented: “Ian Hart is absolutely brilliant and lots of fun to be around – but my golden moments were getting to work with Michelle. She’s just the absolute best.
“So very talented and just the most effortless actor. We got to explore their relationship and film quiet, unsaid, nuanced moments, as well as having a laugh tripping over all the ridiculous police jargon! She’s a bright sparkle of a human and wonderful to work with and be around.”
Similarly, Michelle touched on the chemistry the pair were able to build for their characters as she remarked on always admiring Douglas’ work. She said: “He’s an amazing actor, and when I found out he was on board, I was so excited. What was lovely was that he always had my back – if I was struggling with something, he would just make me feel so comfortable.
“It was important to establish our relationship because we were partners in the show. In the mornings in the makeup truck, we’d also do quizzes together. We used to do them on our phones at the beginning, and then one day Doug came in with a book. It was nice to come together and focus on something other than work.”
The Blame airs on ITV1 and ITVX from Sunday, September 20.
