hiː wɛnt ˌɔn tə stˈʌdi æɾ ˈiːst fˈɪftiːn ˈæktɪŋ skˈuːl fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi nˈaɪn tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː, wˌɛn ðə skˈuːl wʌz stˈɪl ɹˈʌn baɪ ɪts fˈaʊndɚ mˈɑːɹɡɹət wˈɔːkɚ ænd hɜː hˈʌsbənd ɑːɹtˈɪstɪk dᵻɹˈɛktɚ wˈɪlf wˈɔːkɚ.
He went on to study at East 15 Acting School from 1989 to 1992, when the school was still run by its founder Margaret Walker and her husband Artistic Director Wilf Walker.