Michael Socha has confessed he used to keep his acting career a secret because it didn't fit in with his image.
The 24-year-old - who steps up from a semi-regular role to lead in the new series of supernatural drama Being Human - started doing amateur dramatics at night after his former headteacher suggested it, but decided to keep it quiet at school.
He said: "I couldn't do it at school because I had a bit of a reputation to keep. I couldn't be 'Michael the drama boy', I had to be 'Michael the cool boy smoking fags and kissing girls'."
Michael said it took him a while to tell his pals what he was up to.
"I don't think my mates understood it. They'd all be having scraps with another local gang in the park. One minute I'm with them and the next I'd be singing in jazz shoes," he said.
The actor, who made his debut as the feral teenager (and werewolf) Tom during the last series of Being Human, has become something of a heartthrob but insisted he will be keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
"It's very easy to get carried away with compliments but it can make you arrogant," said Michael.
"I'm aware of how fickle this industry is so I don't think I'll ever have an attitude or act like a diva. To act for a living is a gift and understanding you're a lucky bloke keeps your feet on the ground."
:: The fourth series of Being Human begins on BBC Three tonight (February 5).
Here are some pics of Being Human: