▁actor ' s ▁Wel sh ▁roots : ▁" I ' m ▁serious . ▁He ' s ▁Wel sh ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Anthony ▁Hop kins ▁and ▁Richard ▁Bur ton : ▁fier y , ▁mer cur ial , ▁un predict able ." ▁A ▁keen ▁footballer , ▁She en ▁was ▁sc out ed ▁and ▁offered ▁a ▁place ▁on ▁Ar sen al ' s ▁youth ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 , ▁but ▁his ▁family ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁to ▁London . ▁He ▁later ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁" gr ateful " ▁for ▁his ▁parents ' ▁decision , ▁as ▁the ▁ch ances ▁of ▁for ging ▁a ▁professional ▁football ▁career ▁were ▁" so ▁sl im ". ▁ ▁She en ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁the atr ical ▁family , ▁his ▁parents ▁both ▁being ▁involved ▁in ▁local ▁amateur ▁oper at ics ▁and ▁musical s ▁and , ▁later ▁in ▁life , ▁his ▁father ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁part - time ▁professional ▁Jack ▁Nich ol son ▁look ali ke . ▁In ▁his ▁te en age ▁years , ▁She en ▁was ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁West ▁G lam organ ▁Youth ▁Theatre ▁and , ▁later , ▁the ▁National ▁Youth ▁Theatre ▁of ▁Wales . ▁" It ▁was ▁a ▁brilliant ▁youth ▁theatre ", ▁She en ▁has ▁said , ▁" and ▁it ▁taught ▁me ▁not ▁only ▁a ▁lot ▁about ▁acting , ▁but ▁also ▁about ▁work ▁eth ic ; ▁it ▁was ▁very ▁discipl ined ." ▁He ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁performances ▁of ▁Laur ence ▁Oliv ier ▁and ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁theatre ▁critic ▁Kenneth ▁T