YOU never know what’s around the corner.

Just ask Jamie Lomas who went from working on building sites to making his debut on Brookside.

The actor is now well known thanks to the likes of Hollyoaks and EastEnders but until he was 28 he thought that a career on TV was out of reach.

Jamie told Weekend: “Acting was something I was really interested in at school but there weren’t enough people in my year to do it as a GCSE so they scrapped it.

“I didn’t pick it back up until I was 28. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I couldn’t sing so that was out of the window but I was in a pub one day and I found a leaflet for acting classes.

“I thought: ‘This is something I’ve always been interested in but never been able to pursue’. After the first class I knew that was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and I never stopped.”

Warrington Guardian:

Jamie’s first job was on a DFS advert but he did not have to graft on low profile jobs for long because he got a 10-episode run on Brookside.

He still did not think he was good enough though.

The I’m A Celebrity runner-up added: “I remember watching the episodes back and thinking: ‘You’re not ready’.

“So I used my money from Brookside to go to Canada and I worked with a teacher intensely for six months on my own.

“That changed everything for me.

“Sometimes when you’ve got a dream and a passion you’ve got to go all in so that’s what I did.”

Now Jamie could not be busier. As well as regular acting work he runs First Take School of Acting (FTSA) and FTSA Kids: Manchester.

He is also launching FTSA Kids: Warrington at St Gregory’s Catholic High School next month and when Weekend spoke to him he was on his way to the TV Choice Awards to mark his return to Hollyoaks as the infamous Warren Fox. Jamie is returning as part of special celebrations to mark the soap’s 25th year.

The 44-year-old, who was married to Kym Marsh for two years, said: “Everyone wants to play the villain and Warren is such an iconic character.

“I’ve had so much fun and I’m so grateful to producer Bryan Kirkwood and Hollyoaks for allowing me to play Warren over the years.

“I was always love putting Warren’s ‘mask’ back on and playing him every time I go back.

“I kind of miss him when he’s not around so I always end up back on Hollyoaks. I get messages all the time from people saying: ‘Please go back’.

Warrington Guardian:

Jamie with tutor Simone Clark

£It’s really flattering and I thank the fans for that who have always loved Warren even though he is a nasty piece of work.”

Jamie has always been drawn towards gritty, complex characters.

He added: “I’ve got something coming up at the moment where I’m playing an ex-veteran living with PTSD on the streets.

“And I loved my role on EastEnders where I played Jake Stone, an alcoholic.

“Everything I do I have to give 100 per cent. There’s no other way for me. I love complex characters and getting my teeth stuck into a role.

“People really do struggle with PTSD and alcohol addiction and so I owe it to them to do my research and portray those characters in a way that is as real as possible.”

THE NEW CLASSES

JAMIE'S acting classes for five to 14-year-olds are launching in Warrington on October 2.

The weekly lessons will be at St Gregory’s Catholic High School where Jamie will be joined by Simone Clark, former contestant on Britain’s Next Top Model, and Anthony Crank, who taught for a decade at Manchester School Of Acting and used to be a presenter on T4 and MTV.

Warrington Guardian:

Jamie, who was in The Wind that Shakes the Barley with Cillian Murphy, said: “We set up originally in Manchester and the school went so well that we were thinking about where the next venue should be.

“Warrington fitted right in for us as it’s in the catchment area for a lot of places in the north west and it felt right as our head tutor Anthony is from the town. We’re looking to get a number of these schools open to bring the next generation through and Warrington is our next stop.”

Celebrity Patrons of First Take which specialises in TV and film work include Corrie’s Kym Marsh Emmerdale’s Anthony Quinlan, Hollyoaks’ Jacob Roberts, The 4 O’Clock Club’s Layton Blake and Jamie’s sister Charley Webb.

Jamie added: “We also have special guests who come in from time to time to work with the children.

“For them that is invaluable to have someone there who has done it because that’s ultimately where they want to be.

“For the kids it’s inspirational and for the actors they’re often more than happy to come in as they like to give something back.

“It’s just nice to see the kids grow and develop week in and week out.

“Kids come in and they’re clinging to their mums and two weeks later they’re on stage performing in front of people.

“We’re all about confidence building for acting but also their lives in general. Some people come in and they’ve been bullied and we’re a really supportive group.

“We make sure we make a big fuss of everybody when they come in so nobody feels out of place.”

To book a place or for more information about FTSA Kids: Warrington email kids@firsttakeschoolofacting.com