True to BSTN’s proprietary ‘Feed Fam, Fuck Fame!‘ philosophy, we’re introducing you to some members of the immediate as well as the extended BSTN family. In their own words, they talk about themselves, their career, and selected topics close to their heart. This is Feed Fam – Episode XIII featuring actor and BSTN London team member Ash Barba.
On what got him to where he is today:
Leaving the school education system at a young age was a crucial decision in my life. At the time, I was young and lost but it led me to the amazing career I have now.
As cliché as it sounds, my partner and my dog both give me drive and inspiration to design and act, it was my partner who sat down with me and read the audition script for Top Boy Netflix.
On his approach to acting:
Acting, to me, was something I never thought I would do, so my approach to the art is very unorthodox and not the traditional acting approach. Instead of embodying a character I like to make the character a version of myself. My main goal with acting is to show people who are less confident that they can do it to.
On the decision to pursue his passion:
My main reason for pursuing acting at first was based on the culture I was raised in. My family comes from Morocco and is very traditional in many aspects. I am the first generation of the family that’s born and raised in London so acting was an opportunity to present my culture to the world. That’s what I want to build on. I’d love to work with people from the same culture all over the world.
On choosing a less traditional path:
In the beginning, I sensed doubt in the people around me – not because they didn’t think I can do it, but because where we come from, we’re taught to focus on making a solid income and not to risk that for a dream. There’s always a risk in following your dreams but what’s the point of living life always thinking ‘what if’?
On the challenges he’s had to conquer:
Anxiety, doubt, fear – these are the thoughts that come to my mind when I’m about to fall asleep. I feel these thoughts originate from past experiences, but I’ve learnt to remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and to forget the past.
On his sources of inspiration and motivation:
I’m a west London boy, so I was raised around carnival and sound systems. I love to meet up with my DJ friends and follow them to watch them DJ and, see the tracks they’re about to drop and read the crowd’s reaction. I’m heavily into sound production and music, so this for me is always going to be an inspiration. One day, I’d love to put together a new style of musical, including instrumental music and showing the London lifestyle.
