Noel Clarke

Noel: I wouldn't put a job title on my business card. This country [UK]has a thing about always trying to box people into one category. If you do more than one thing in America, it's embraced. I like being an actor, a writer and a director, and I want to grow in all of those areas.

Noel (speaking in 2008): As for being the voice of youth, I'm getting older and the youth grow up into adulthood. But I want to grow with them and take both them and British film into new, brave and exciting directions. If one film I do inspires someone to try to do it as well, I will feel like I have accomplished something.

Noel: Writing came up because I was always interested in it. It was always something I wanted to do. I was reading things and thinking I could do better than this. I was taught never to talk about other people's jobs unless you'd tried them yourself. So I went and taught myself and tried and read lots of screenplays.

Noel: People think I'm this really pleasant, mild mannered, easygoing fellow when I'm actually a quite focused and determined person.

(on working with the established cast on "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet") Noel: They know me really well now and it's become an uncle/nephew or father/son type of relationship. I tease them about being old! There's lots of banter back and forth and they will talk about things that I don't even know about because I'm too young.

(on ambition) Noel: I've got a lot of friends whose careers have just burnt out. But when they're out partying at 3am, I'm in, reading my script backwards and forwards and sideways. I'm not interested in fame - you'll never, ever see me in Heat magazine - but I do want to be successful. If I was sweeping the roads, I'd be the best person doing it in Britain. If I was posting letters, I'd finish my round before everyone else. I don't think I'm the best actor in the country of my age, but I'll aspire to be the best and, if I see someone better, I'll work hard to improve.

(on the difference he hopes his film "Kidulthood" can make to violent crime among young people) Noel: I'm not a politician. I can't provide all the answers. But my part as a filmmaker is to raise questions. I would like people to see this film and see what I'm trying to say which is, 'You can walk away'. If someone hits you you don't have to go and get your friends and hit them back. You can walk away and that's what I'm trying to say is walk away.

Noel: I have worked hard to get into an industry where people just don't want to see you if you didn't go to drama school. I think it's a slap in the face to those people that think if you are not trained you can't act - as I didn't go to drama school!

Noel: (On how he got in to the industry) I always wanted to do this, but my mum came from Trinidad so she didn't really know about the whole drama theatre system! I guess it all started when I was working as a lifeguard at the local swimming pool - the director Richard Beadle approached me and asked if I wanted to audition for his Channel Four show. It was the pilot of Metro called Heterosexuality, which became the Channel 4 series Metrosexuality. It all just kinda took off from there.

Noel: (His advice to people considering getting in to the industry) No matter what people think of you, even when you're young - just follow your dreams because at the end of the day they are not paying your bills and they're not looking after you. Make sure you've got a group of close friends but think about number one and do what you gotta do.