28 Time 4 Me, February 2009
interview
South London actor and musician Arnold Oceng, star of Brit
flick AdULTHOOD and TV programmes including Grange Hill,
Holby City and The Bill tells ZOE WALKER all about his Brixton
background and favourite places to hang out in the area.
You grew up in South London – done since then?
whereabouts? Idid alot of TV –Istarted off in adverts and
Igrewupwhere Istill live now–inBrixton stuff like that. And short films. The first big
Hill, near the prison. thingIgot was Grange Hill and Idid that for
six years–Iplayed acharactercalled
Howold areyou now? Calvin Braithwaite.
Iam21.
Was that fun to do?
How did you get into acting? That was amazing because Grange Hill was
It was crazy –Istartedprofessionally acting abig thing –everybody grewupwatching
when Iwas about six. Inever went to any thatand to get amainpartwas likeadream
drama school or come true.
anything like that, I That was sort of like
stumbled into it. Iwent my drama school –I‘In the media
to aschool called learned from that. I
Corpus Christi in wasthrowninattheyoualwayshear
Brixton Hill. It’s a deep end but Iwas
Catholic School –and learning everyday I
basically Catholic was in it. Everyabout the bad
schools have nativity episode of Grange
plays every year and I Hill was filmed by astuff but nobody
got the part of King different director so
Herod. you can imagine incongratulates
The mother of one of that six years Imet
the kids in my class so many directors
was an agent. and so manythe people
Obviously she came to scriptwriters.
watch her son in the who aredoing
play and so she saw You have been
me as well. Idid a shooting afilmgreat things’
good enough called Shotta’s
BRIXTON BOY: Arnold Oceng at theperformance that at Paradise alongside
premiere of Adulthoodthe end she came and Ray Winstone –can
gave my mum acard and said, “Your son you tell me abit about that? around London. Iplay aboy called Hustler –
has got talent, give me acall”. She signed We are half way through filming that but that is his actual name. His role is like the
me straight away to the agency. there has been adelay due to finance. one IplayinAdulthood in away –my
Shotta’s Paradise is an urban film about character is not really abad guy but when
What films and TV series have you inner-city youth life. It’s filmed all he is around his friends he
can get pushed to do
certain things.
He’s ago-between –the one
who all the elders on the
estate send out to do all the
jobs,togoand roborjust
do all thebad stuff.
Do you think there are lots
of people like that around
London?
Ithink there are and
everybodyisaware that
there are alot of people like
that in London.
But there are alot of people
whoare notlikethataswell
butIjustdon’t thinkthey
get alot of shine.
In the media you always
hear aboutall thebad stuff
butnobodyreally
congratulates people who
are doing great things.
People just keep seeing
the negative aspects –
especially in South
London.
GROWING UP: A
poster for 2008’s
Adulthood, starring
Arnold Oceng
TIME 4 ME 028 Feb 2009
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