A father who self-medicated his depression with drink and drugs has set his sights on Hollywood after a chat with movie star Mark Wahlberg inspired him to unlock an acting talent that has seen him film alongside Samuel L Jackson.<\/p>\n
Jamie Humphrey, 33, was working as a security guard on the set of the movie Infinite in 2019 when a chance encounter with Wahlberg became pivotal to him rebuilding his life and pursuing his acting dreams.<\/p>\n
Jamie, of Sittingbourne, Kent, whose wife, Lisa, 27, is a stay-at-home mpther to their five children, said: \u201cI was working on a film set, guarding Mark Wahlberg\u2019s trailer. I didn\u2019t expect to actually meet him, but he stopped one day to talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie has his sights set on Hollywood. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt was just a two-minute conversation but it ended up changing my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe stopped and asked me about myself and what my dreams were. I told him I wanted to be like him and to make money like him, that my dream since childhood was to be an actor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said to me, \u2018Well, what are you doing standing here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie is now auditioning for roles in the US. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI didn\u2019t expect Mark to stop and speak to me but he was such a friendly guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pep talk came at the end of four difficult years, starting with the death of his beloved grandmother on December 1, 2015, who passed away in her sleep of natural causes.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cShe was 80 and it was a very traumatic experience for me, because I was with her when she died and it sent me into a spiral of depression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie now regularly works on film sets. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
For Jamie, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which means people have differences in brain activity and development that affect attention, the next few years were a dark time.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI was just trying to survive, to put food on the table for my family, but it was rock bottom for me in terms of mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cI admit I turned to drugs and alcohol and I didn\u2019t know how I was going to get out of the rut I was in.\u201d<\/p>\n
My dad has always been my rock, so to lose him was just devastating, as we were so close, but I was determined to keep going for him.<\/p>\n
Jamie Humphrey<\/p>\n
Astonishingly, it was Mark Wahlberg\u2019s frank words that were his catalyst for change.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt was like a light switch had been flicked. Suddenly a spark had ignited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI began looking for acting roles as an extra, or small parts that I could audition for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie says his dad has always been his rock. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI made a post on Facebook explaining about my mental health and how I really wanted to be an actor.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy chance, it reached a Bengali casting director who messaged and offered me a day on set as an extra.\u201d<\/p>\n
The filming was taking place in Windsor, Berkshire, but with a large family to provide for, Jamie did not know how he would afford to attend.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old had hit rock bottom before deciding to pursue acting. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cMy dad was always my biggest supporter and he was as determined as me to make this happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to him about the opportunity and he offered to pay for my train ticket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an incredible day. I had no idea what to expect but I loved the atmosphere and, even though I was supposed to be an extra, I ended up having a small speaking role too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dad-of-five was inspired by a chance meeting with Mark Wahlberg. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
This first taste of acting had Jamie hooked and he started searching for more opportunities.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAfter that, I starred in a Nazi film, Swastik Sanket, playing a main role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe movie was a number one hit in Tollywood, which is Indian cinema filmed in the Telugu language.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was like a light switch had been flicked. Suddenly a spark had ignited.<\/p>\n
Jamie Humphrey<\/p>\n
Since then, Jamie\u2019s career has been climbing, with two films due to be released this year \u2013 Gangs of London and Victor.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI\u2019m not going to pretend I\u2019m making thousands of pounds from the movies, but everyone has to start somewhere and the bigger roles and movies I get cast in, the more money I can make.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this time when tragedy struck and he lost his dad Kevin, 59, to complications from Covid in December 2020, despite his immense grief, he honoured the memory of the father he loved so much by staying on course.<\/p>\n
Jamie pictured here as a baby with his late father, Kevin. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cMy dad has always been my rock, so to lose him was just devastating, as we were so close, but I was determined to keep going for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just over a year on from his dad\u2019s death, Jamie attended his first red carpet event for the National Social Media Awards at which he made a point of commemorating his late father.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been on that carpet if it wasn\u2019t for my dad\u2019s unwavering support, so it felt wrong to go there and not do something special for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie made his red carpet debut with a photo of his dad. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI brought a shirt with me that had my dad\u2019s face on with the words, \u2018We made it\u2019 printed on it, too. It was very special to me, because I do feel that me and my dad were in this together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll always be grateful for what he did for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Jamie has his sights set on the bright lights of Hollywood.<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t have been on that carpet if it wasn\u2019t for my dad\u2019s unwavering support.<\/p>\n
Jamie Humphrey<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI\u2019m working on sorting out my visas and immigration documents, so I can move permanently out to LA with my family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make a real go of being an actor and what better place to do it in than Hollywood?\u201d<\/p>\n
Until Jamie makes the big move, he is taking regular trips to Los Angeles, USA, as he looks for work.<\/p>\n
Jamie hopes to move his family out to Los Angeles, USA. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPart of the immigration process means that I need three years of work in America, so I\u2019ve been going over to audition and make connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven my kids have taken to joining me on film sets and have had a couple of cameos in the movies I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still struggling to accept how much his life has changed since the chance conversation with Mark Wahlberg, Jamie really is starting to achieve his dreams.<\/p>\n
Jamie has worked on films for Tollywood. (Collect\/PA Real Life)<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI recently filmed for a TV show with Samuel L. Jackson which I can\u2019t say too much about but it\u2019s still so surreal.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark inspired me to follow my dreams and I\u2019m determined to make it a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A father who self-medicated his depression with drink and drugs has set his sights on Hollywood after a chat with movie star Mark Wahlberg inspired him to unlock an acting talent that has seen him film alongside Samuel L Jackson. Jamie Humphrey, 33, was working as a security guard on the set of the movie […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n