Rafe Spall doesn’t think he’d be as successful an actor if he was only starting his career now.
Rafe Spall doesn’t think he’d be as successful if he was only starting his career now.
The 43-year-old actor noted the rise of streaming services has given more opportunities for instant “international” stardom, whereas he and his peers enjoyed a “slow build” towards their own mainstream success.
He reflected to the Sunday Times: “If I’d started out now I don’t think I’d have had the career I’ve had.
“When I came into the profession, my generation all coveted working in the subsidised theatre sector — the Almeida and the Royal Court, that’s where my peers like Ruth Wilson, Andrea Riseborough, Ben Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne wanted to be.
“Now you can go on a Netflix show and become an international star. You don’t get a slow build, which is what I’ve done.
“Then there’s the culture of self-taping, which means you don’t go have a chat and know how it’s going.”
But the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom actor stressed he is “very proud” of his gradual ascension and is thankful he’s still working now.
He said: “The most difficult thing to do is sustain a job. I’m very grateful. It sounds cheesy.
“Hashtag blessed. But I don’t want for anything more.”
Rafe is the son of actor Timothy Spall and his wife Shane, and while he loves gossiping about the industry with his dad, he doesn’t go to the Harry Potter star for career advice.
He said: “My dad and I gossip all the time about showbusiness.
“If I’m choosing between two jobs I will ask him what he reckons, but I never ask for practical acting advice, like how do I do a Midlands accent.”
Rafe – who has three children aged 15 13, and 10 with ex-wife Elize du Toit and a two year old with partner Esther Smith – admitted he “gets it wrong every day” as a parent but isn’t afraid to own up to his mistakes as a dad.
He said: “You get it wrong every day, but all you can do is keep trying again — admitting you are wrong is important.
“You might lose your patience, you make mistakes all the time because no one tells you how to do it; you are sent off with a kid in a car seat and left to it.”
And the Trying star admitted having kids in a wide range of ages has given him “perspective”.
He explained: “Having kids who are a range of ages means you have a bit of perspective, in that you know everything is a stage and passes, and you realise that the sleepless nights and holding their hands and, like, commando-crawling out of their room and changing their nappy is where the love is.
“It also means you bring them all up differently because you are at a different stage in your life.”
Rafe Spall shares why starting out in acting now is so different
