Top Boy's Ashley Walters wants to shine spotlight on forgotten black history
Top Boy's Ashley Walters wants to bring overlooked Black historical figures to the screen and hopes to create dramas that spark conversations, following his directorial debut with Animol.
Top Boy's Ashley Walters wants to tell the stories of overlooked Black historical figures as he looks to expand his directing career.
The 44-year-old actor, who played Dushane Hill in the Channel 4 crime drama, believes the achievements of influential Black men and women have been overlooked for generations and wants to bring their stories to the screen.
Speaking to Radio Times following his feature film directorial debut with prison drama Animol, Ashley said: "I feel like historically there are a lot of prominent Black men – and women, but I’m saying men because I'm a man – that have done some great things that I don't think we talk about, that wasn’t taught to me in history when I was younger."
He added: "I think it's really important that some of those stories are told in the best way possible. So I kind of resonate with those sort of things."
The Adolescence star already has a particular project in mind but is reluctant to reveal too much.
He joked: "I don't want people to steal my ideas!"
Ashley believes the show's success proved that powerful TV can do more than entertain audiences by sparking important conversations and inspiring positive change.
The Bulletproof entertainer explained: "But if that drama can then translate into creating conversation, inspiring people to do other things, good things, then I think that's sweet."
Ashley previously directed episodes of the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge and Disney+'s historical drama A Thousand Blows, but admitted taking charge of his first feature film was a very different experience.
He said: "On a TV show you're facilitating someone else's vision."
Ashley explained that TV directors generally work within an established creative framework, while making a feature film involves greater freedom and responsibility.
He added: "It was a big shock to my system, coming out of TV and having that support, to be in a position where the producers say, 'Go, make your film.' It's very intense. It's a lot more responsibility."
The actor also revealed that being discouraged from directing earlier in his career only made him more determined to succeed.
He said: "Nothing I've gained has been easy. If someone had just said, ‘Yeah, go on,’ I might not have wanted to do it. I enjoy the fight. I enjoy the push and pull."
And Ashley insisted that being told no simply motivates him further.
He added: "So the idea of someone saying no to me is like a trigger. I'm going to prove you wrong!"
