Actor told he'd need to lose his Scouse accent says Liverpool is actually a big asset

An actor who was once told he’d never work unless he lost his Scouse accent says Liverpool is actually an asset in the industry.

Luke Anthony Jr. was shocked by the advice but determined not to let it hold him back.

Instead, he stuck to his Liverpool roots and, having landed his first TV role in a series filmed here, he says there’s no better city in the UK for creative opportunities.

“When I was told that my accent would stop me from getting work, I remember just feeling so disheartened by that at first,” he says.

“But I wouldn’t let it knock me back. It pushed me to learn different accents and dialects so if a script does come, I can manipulate my own voice to it, I don’t have to change my identity.

“I’m a working class actor from Liverpool, I’m proud of that, and having been told it would be an obstacle now there are so many opportunities here that you couldn’t get anywhere else.

“The industry is so much more inclusive, with the way things have gone with streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and there are all these people hunting for fresh new material and locations.

“Liverpool has amazing buildings, quirky streets, and just a really friendly helpful vibe you get from people, so productions want to film here.

“I think it’s the best city in the UK and definitely one of the most creative places to be.”

Luke, from Halewood, is about to make his small screen debut in Dead Hot, the series created by Charlotte Coben that premiered on Prime earlier this month.

He filmed it in Liverpool last year and says the fact that it’s in his home city just made it that bit more special. He also gets to use his own accent for the role which features in episodes 3 and 4.

Now 27, Luke first found a love of acting when he was at primary school.

“I used to get kids together and put plays on for the class, skits and spin-offs of TV shows, to make the class laugh,” he says, “It must have just been in me from a young age and when they came to the school looking for kids to be in Kes at the Playhouse they picked me.

“That was my first experience on a big stage, when I was about 13, and it felt like I belonged.

“I joined the Royal Court Youth Theatre which I loved, but I was really interested in film and TV. There wasn’t as much going on in Liverpool at the time, it was more theatre, so I kept thinking, how do I get into this?

“I did level 3 acting course at college, started doing little things and then I spotted the LA Productions Script to Screen course. I enrolled onto that and learnt about the film and TV industry, I did workshops with people like Jimmy McGovern, and we had the chance to make our own short films.

“We learned all different aspects of the industry, which was invaluable because at the time I knew nothing about that, and the footage I got helped me to get my first agent.”

Luke says he wasn’t able to apply for one of the major drama schools because it was unaffordable.

“It’s so expensive, I knew that wasn’t going to work out for me so I thought I’d go my own way. I’ve been doing photography for years to support myself and use that money to take lots of different film and TV classes around the country, keep training and get material together.”

He’s also started his own production company, Build A Door, to create opportunities for himself and anyone else who might find it difficult to break through.

“I believe film should be accessible for all, regardless of mental, physical or financial circumstances,” he explains. “Build A Door is something that means a lot to me and I want to collaborate with as many people from Liverpool as possible who are on the same journey as me.

“I’m basically a one-man band so I’d love to have a team of people bringing together creative ideas.

“Doing this job, you can feel like a hitchhiker or a nomad – it’s exhilarating but it’s also daunting because there’s no promise of anything ahead of you and you just have to embrace the lifestyle.

“And if no one wants to employ me, I’ll employ myself, because I feel like it’s my sole purpose, there’s nothing else I want to do.”