Ep #23: Actor Amir Wilson on Juggling School with Acting, Coping with Rejection, and Passion for Filmmaking

The Promising Creative

Amir Wilson, an actor hailing from Shrewsbury, has rapidly risen as a young talent in the acting world. His journey began at age 10 when he responded to an open audition for the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. Out of 3000 hopefuls, Amir made it to the final four, and thanks to some quick thinking from his mum, he landed the role. For the next two years, he balanced primary school and performing in the Lion King, and hasn’t looked back since.
Amir's stage performance in The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole led him to meet his agent, opening doors to film and TV roles. He has since starred as Will Parry in the HBO and BBC One series His Dark Materials, Tiuri in the Netflix series The Letter for the King, and Dickon in the 2020 film adaptation of The Secret Garden.
On the podcast, Amir shares his experiences, challenges and triumphs. From media training and staying in LA hotels to doing GCSE mock exams in a shipping container in Cardiff and filming alongside Colin Firth and Julie Walters at Pinewood Studios, his journey is full of fascinating anecdotes.
A dedicated student of film, Amir left school at 16 to attend LSA film school, which ignited a lifelong passion for the filmmaking process. He emphasises the importance of coping mechanisms for balancing work and personal life and maintaining as normal a school life as possible while pursuing acting.
Amir’s advice to aspiring actors is to stick to short-term goals to improve day by day. For those in creative fields, he suggests absorbing everything around you—watch things you wouldn’t normally watch and talk to people you wouldn’t normally talk to, as there’s much to learn from new experiences and others.
Currently, His Dark Materials is available on BBC iPlayer, offering audiences a chance to see Amir's breakout performances. Listen in to hear more about Amir Wilson’s journey so far and his insights into the acting world.
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Guest: @amirwilson_