your sky and my sky might be different
you know I mean but neither of us have
touched the sky if we give ourselves
boundaries the one thing I really liked
to do was drama if I inspired to be on
the levels of dental Washington's and
the Robert De Niro's in the world I had
to reinvent myself whatever I try and do
I do
from from my point of view I believe in
it yes I think that you know if your
acting student you know be a student of
the game understand the game as much as
you can
oh look at that monster yeah do you see
it yet actually if I can see myself
doing it I could probably do it one
thing I kept doing is you know inspiring
myself looking for inspiration and
growing our God I'm gonna walk into
rooms where people have been lived
seeing smelt touched felt mr. Mandela
there was a drive to be famous to be you
know that that pinnacle to be that guy
he's a British actor musician and DJ
he's best known for his portrayal as a
drug lord on the HBO series The Wire
he's been nominated five times for
Golden Globe for Best Actor in a
miniseries
he's ages Alba and here are his top ten
roles for success I mean it's important
not to give yourself boundaries which we
can do quite easily okay people talk
about aiming for the skies sometimes
even aiming for the skies is
intimidating just don't give yourself
boundaries your sky and my sky might be
different you know I mean but neither of
us have touched the sky if we give
ourselves boundaries you know I mean
whatever your sky is whatever your
biggest dream is I might have already
touched that you know so in other words
what sky where does the sky end I'd
rather people car you know what I'm not
going to restrict myself to the guy and
I can only do this so I can only do that
oh I have to do it this way or I have to
do it that way I think it's important
that people just go and lose the
boundaries lose the conformity and just
go for it it was a real sort of verse
liberating feeling at 16 17 years old
the one thing I really liked to do was
drama
and there was no sort of like beacon for
this could be a career you could do it I
just didn't see that but I really loved
to do it so I just said I want to do
what I love you know I mean and the way
for players yeah school plays in and
from school you know literally you know
my sort of fifth year my drama teacher
was like that you know it got some
talent here brother you you know you did
really well in your GCSEs you've got
some talent mm-hmm
once you did once you do it and she gave
me this course there's a two-year
performing arts course it was a new
course it was like do the course fall in
your face for two years
paint scenery direct plays just do it
for two years and see if you like it and
that's what I did that's what I fell in
love of it so I got to a certain point
in my career where I saw the glass
ceiling I was so closer I was gonna hit
my forward on it but I was busy I was
busy I got lots of work I realized that
I can only play so many best friends or
gang leaders all right I knew that I
wasn't going to land a leading role I
knew there wasn't another Matt enough
imagination not yet for the industry to
be seeing me as a lead in other words if
I wanted to star in a British drama like
Luther for example then I'd have to go
to a country like America all right now
some people might say back then look
there was no black detectives you know
like how can you expect us to make a TV
show about one it's television
sorry and the other thing is that I
didn't see myself or my culture on TV so
I literally just stopped watching it
instead I decided to go and become a TV
now if I inspired to be on the levels of
Denzel Washington's and the Robert De
Niro's in the world I had to reinvent
myself I had to transform the way the
industry saw me I had to climb out of
that box in other words I didn't go to
America because I I couldn't get part I
went to America because I was running
out of Parts I there all the parts were
the same whatever I try and do I do it
from from my point of view is do I
believe in it yes I don't do things for
money and I've been broke most of my
life
so because of that I can't sort of
suddenly go I need to do a job just to
get some cash you know I mean I know
that a lot of times is people's
motivations because people need to eat
but in my position I've been poor most
of my life so now I don't really do
think it's based on money to do things
on authenticity of how I feel I think
that you know if your action student you
know be a student of the game understand
the game as much as you can it's very
important to know the territory that you
want to be in if it's a film director or
an actor or whatever that is you know
really understand what you're you're
sort of trying to achieve and understand
the the marketplace if you like there's
nothing worse than an actor that has
sort of grandiose ideas of being famous
but doesn't actually understand the
route it takes to get from one place to
the other as an actor so that that's
about self education of course and you
know trying to put yourself in
opportunities where you can always you
know practice your craft whether that's
you know doing small plays whether
that's writing scripts for yourself
whether that's you know audition and
doing open auditions you know as a young
actor try as much as you can to be
around the community of filmmakers in
theatre so that you can you know soak it
all up like a sponge what's on their
coming off the movie like Pacific Rim
where you're using language and you're
talking about things that aren't real
you're doing that and you're and I'm
sure some of the stuff you're talking
about you don't even oh what the hell
you're talking about right not to go
from that to something that is so real
as what's the transition like in your
head I mean it was not sexually because
I was here shooting that film going off
and talking about oh look at that
monster yeah do you see it yet and then
reading about mr. Mandela and having to
prepare for that that was a massive
contrast for me but I think it is really
you know it's you know if a guitarist
picks up a guitar and you can play a
reggae song and a rock song using the
one instrument you know that's the
beauty of the instrument and that's why
I think the beauty of being an actor is
been able to do that and have that sort
of span you know I think I think my
imaginations always kept me going
I mean it's like you know just imagine
myself collecting awards just imagine
myself you know I mean getting big parts
imagine myself working with the greatest
actors my imagination was the one like
you know I mean like knowing you're not
overthinking but you just kind of like
yeah man I see myself driving that car
one day and I get that you know
maintenance as part of my inner magic is
that actually if I can see myself doing
it I could probably do it so you can't
bottled up and sell it to someone who
can do it or you can't but everybody can
imagine themselves you know then yeah
you know what actually yeah I could see
myself you know being an influencer in
clothes you know I mean because I can
make that happen
yes you know my you know my history of
I've been sort of on all sides of versed
my journey you know I didn't I didn't
have success very early and I went
through some very dark times and you
know I mean one thing I kept doing is
you know inspiring myself looking for
inspiration and growing and and it
hasn't stopped and I want to keep doing
that and I also want to inspire others
you know there were millions of me
sitting at home right now and they don't
know it and it's just good to be able to
get this sort of platform to sort of say
come on man go for it there was a lot of
encouragement to trust my my instincts
you know the instincts of use your
presence you know them saying like in
South Africa you know I mean obviously a
lot South Africans I was really aware
that our god I'm gonna walk into rooms
where people have been lived seeing
smelt touched
felt mr. Mandela in person on radio and
television and here I come as an
outsider doing this in you know
portrayal of him I was really a ways to
make me very nervous about you know if
I'm gonna do it right or not and just
and encouraged me to stay with what my
gut was hmm
to stay with that don't don't waver from
it don't try to be there Mandela or the
Mandela they think you should be be that
guy we've discussed in all the
rehearsals and all the script millions
you know be that guy go of that thing so
that was great actually took justin's
credit like he really helped me sculpt
and measure out that that that
performance you know I was sixteen
contemplated being an actor I was in
sound systems DJ and I mean and you know
it was like that or this so I always go
back to Dida I always have a studio I
would have turntables always your feet
firmly found by the diagram are they
know that I I don't well I don't know
actors it's hard is really get all this
attention and stay saying yeah I think
you know I mean like for me listen I
been doing a long time in animating
there was a there was a drive to be
famous to be you know that that pinnacle
to be that guy and I'm not not that not
it's not it's not my ambition that isn't
that as much you know I mean good work
keep working so it's gonna be hard for
me to sort of glice unli be like you
know oh I'm lifted up by this wonderful
life that I have I love it but you know
I'm I feel you're on the ground you know
it's a you know it's work it's a job
thank you so much for watching I made
this video because kanaeva Garrick asked
me to so there's a famous entrepreneur
that you want me to profile next leave
it in the comments below and I'll see
what I can do
I'd also love to know which of Alvez top
10 rules meant the most to you is going
to have the biggest impact on your life
leave it in the comments I'll join the
discussion thank you so much for
watching
continue to believe and I'll see you
soon
I do think though you know it is a
balancing act and the truth is it's
about forward planning having a good
team around you you know I mean to help
me and may help me see perspective
there's one thing about being in the
front is that you can't see what's
behind you but if you've got people that
are around you to give you a little bit
of vision you can go out okay actually
this will work and this one work you
know what I mean but if you're just
looking forward sometimes you won't see
that when you realize that wasn't a joke
where's your first instinct stay away
from it or was it percolating in the
back of your head somewhere is a great
idea was a couple of things happening
the my first instinct was dude dude that
is the opportunity of a lifetime you
kidding me what a gift but then as the
next door was but if you it up good
night
it can read it's over mmm period you
know because you know in film you know
my career has been decent and I can't
say I have a string of amazing films
under my belt you know if I've got great
films and films they're very from
popcorn films to some really heartfelt
films but you know Mandela was next
level for me and it was absolutely the
gateway to the next chapter of my career
but had I and I get to the gateway and
tripped up as I fall in I wouldn't have
it I won't be moving on because he's
such a big world global citizen you know
and and I had all this sort of
trepidation about you know man I
don't look like mr. Mandela at all how
how am I gonna do this you know but
Justin was really clear about his vision
and it was a different spin I guess what
is your theory on success what is your
and try run this no it's good question I
don't know if I've actually ever thought
about success in that way of you know
obviously I feel a successful actor but
I also felt successful the first day I
got my first job you know that was a
form of success I think you know
ultimately if you're successful in
whatever you do is about maintenance
isn't it that that I think it's the most
important thing is maintaining your
success you know you get to the pinnacle
but how do you stay up there now I think
is important