Dominic West Has Had Quite The Transformation

After graduating from Trinity College, West returned to England to attend the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, with plans to become a full-time actor. “I remember being mystified whenever people said, ‘What are you going to do?’ and I said, ‘Be an actor,’ and they’d say [deep theatrical voice], ‘Oh, it’s very hard,’” West told The Guardian. 

For West, though, it wasn’t hard at all. In fact, shortly after graduating from Guildhall, he landed a small role in 1995’s Ian McKellen-starring film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” More bit parts followed, with West finding himself pretty much constantly employed — something of a rarity for an actor just starting out. West, however, landed minor roles in some major motion pictures, including the Spice Girls’ “Spice World,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a made-for-TV version of “A Christmas Carol” (starring Patrick Stewart), and playing a palace guard who has a brief interaction with young Anakin Skywalker in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” 

As West told The Guardian, he had no illusions about how charmed his life has been concerning his acting career. “I’ve been fairly lucky,” he conceded. “Unfortunately it’s been a tale of intense luck and privilege. But there you go.”