Acting Strong
Resilience for Stage Ready, Mind Ready Artists. Inspiring interviews with successful actors and artists exploring how they maintain positive mental wellbeing and resilience through the highs and lows of their career.
Created by Generation Arts. This production is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Hosts: Ali Godfrey & Unique Spencer
Acting Strong
Helder Fernandes: From Harlesden to Hollywood? Netflix success and staying humble, side jobs as a working actor
An episode for aspiring actors looking for inspiration on resilience, success, and a grounding in the realities of being a jobbing actor.
Actor Helder Fernandes has starred in Black Mirror, Rings of Power, The Gentlemen, Top Boy, and the National Theatre's Our Generation. In this down-to-earth conversation with Ali and Unique he shares his journey from struggling to get into drama school to starring in Netflix hits while maintaining a side job for a supermarket.
Helder reflects on balancing fame with staying grounded, finding his confidence through Generation Arts, and the importance of remaining humble despite success in the industry. He describes using lockdown to perfect self-taping skills that led to commercial and TV opportunities and shares his experience performing verbatim theatre in Our Generation at the National Theatre.
He opens up about his lack of high school exam grades, struggles through three years of drama school auditions before finally being accepted and learning to embrace his unique journey and build confidence through drama school training.
Helder is giving back to Generation Arts and showing others from similar backgrounds that success is possible, and we are sure you'll agree he is truly a role model to all aspiring actors out there.
Subscribe, spread the word and turn on your notifications. Each guest brings their own take on resilience, so take what lands and leave what doesn't.
Hosts & Guests:
Ali Godfrey (Host)
Unique Spencer (Host)
Helder Fernandes (Guest)
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Produced & Edited by: Ali Godfrey
Acting Strong is brought to you by Generation Arts and this production is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Hello everyone, you are listening to Acting Strong. It's a podcast that helps explore resilience for stage ready, mind ready artists brought to you by Generation Arts
Ali Godfrey:The line-up of guests have all tested their resilience, so come see what you can learn. We are your hosts. I'm Unique, a professional actor, and I'm Ali, founder of Generation Arts. In today's episode, we're interviewing actor Helder Fernandes about starring at the National Theatre and in Netflix hits Top Boy and the Gentleman, but it wasn't always an easy path. Keep listening to hear more about how he got there.
Unique Spencer:This production is supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Let's get started. Yo yo, yo, yo, yo Yo hello Hi.
Unique Spencer:You look good.
Helder Fernandes:Yeah, well, I had to shave for a tape
Unique Spencer:I literally went downstairs to my mom yesterday after we'd finished this podcast and I had to do a self-tape and I was like I'm a podcaster, I'm a director, I'm an hair and makeup artist, I have to do it all all of it absolute pleasure to have you on the podcast. So, uh, what's life been like, what you've been up to um life been good?
Helder Fernandes:yeah, I've been um. I've been filming bits and bobs and I've been um working at Sainsbury's as well. So I've just had the little side job there just to keep the income coming if it's needed. Yeah, I just finished filming Black Mirror. I've got Rings of Power. I've got a little episode coming out. I play a young boy whose family's been killed by Sauron.
Helder Fernandes:Sauron asks me to join him and I say I'd rather bow to a river and then he kills me.
Ali Godfrey:Oh my gosh spoiler everyone.
Unique Spencer:And how do you sort of manage like going from doing like such incredible jobs like Black Mirror and stuff like that to like then coming back and living like your humble life of like doing your daytime job and that, because a lot of people don't see that like they think that because you're consistently like on Netflix and doing all of these things that you don't have to do the the daytime jobs how do you sort of manage like being up in the skies one minute and then being back on on earth?
Helder Fernandes:I quite like it. Like you said, I think working Sainsbury's 's is very humbling, um, and you know I get to help people you know elderly people with their shopping and it feels, it feels like a way of giving back which is quite rewarding as well. Um, I feel like I love helping people anyway. So doing that it's just like yeah, because you do kind of feel like you're up here, you know Netflix and stuff like that, and then doing that kind of brings me down to earth and reminds me where I came from you know how hard I've worked and to just be humble and normal and human, which I think is important.
Ali Godfrey:Isn't that lovely.
Unique Spencer:I mean you won't catch a lot of actors saying that
Ali Godfrey:You've had a succession of big kind of Netflix-y type hits or Amazon, like you mentioned, the Rings of Power. You've done the Gentleman, you've done Top Boy. Quite a lot of commercials I see you popping up quite a lot. I think you're getting a niche in the old um takeaway delivery boy.
Unique Spencer:I think Sainsbury's missing a trick by not having you as a commercial face.
Ali Godfrey:So how are you finding it and what's that been like, that journey of doing that, that kind of screen work?
Helder Fernandes:It's been a lot of fun. I think a lot of it. I think I got quite lucky with like well, I say lucky now, but like lockdown.
Helder Fernandes:I kind of just spent a lot of lockdown just going over tape, just doing tapes, practicing how to be good behind camera in your own little room, and I think that's something I really really practiced, practiced and practiced room, and I think that's something I really really practiced, practice and practiced and I got better at it. And then I kind of just started getting recalls and bagging jobs, um, but it was interesting to like go through the recall process as well. I mean it really you can only really bring what you bring to the room and then leave it with them and you're like you know if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, but you can only do your your best in that in that time and I think that's something I learned as well. But it's been, it's been really good like just learning so much on set. Different projects require different things. It's been a creative, amazing journey to just get stuck in.
Ali Godfrey:Have you been getting auditions because you've worked with somebody previously and have other things led? Has some things led to other things?
Helder Fernandes:yes, absolutely. Um, there's been auditions that the commercials, for example, that I've done had rec alls or been penciled. Didn't quite get it, but then the same casting um director will call you back in and you're just right for that commercial. There's been a case that happened before and there's been some directors who've seen me in plays like Our Generation.
Helder Fernandes:The casting director for Rings of Power, I think, saw us in that auditioned a few of us in the cast actually and then two of us made it onto the show
Ali Godfrey:and that's something that's so important and something that we talk about a lot at Generation Arts is how each job builds onto the next one and you never know who you're with, or who you're working with, or what they know, or who they know or what they're doing next, and if you just give your best every single time, no matter how small the job is, you never know what it could lead to.
Unique Spencer:Yeah, it's not just the directors either, and the casting directors, also the other actors that you work with. I just had an audition from an actor that I we were both extras in like a BBC thing, and now they're writing like a short film and they've called me from. Do you know? I mean actually being an extra with them. So you just, yeah, you never know where your opportunities will come from. And so just with your like commercial work, um, Helder, like your screen work, because I think a lot of people think that you have to have the same skill to do commercial and and and screen, and it's not the same skill. Like it's. It's very different in terms of the auditions that you do. So would you say that you learnt those skills at drama school?
Helder Fernandes:I'd probably say it's a, it's a mixture of everything together, I'd say, because I feel like when I first did my commercial, when I first did a commercial tape, I understood it, but not quite. But then once you start doing more and you realize, oh, it's that little snippet, so like that bit's really important or like it's in the eyes in this moment, and it's really in the eyes and I just have to think it don't do too much in my face, don't make it too big. Because I feel like with commercials sometimes it's really in the eyes and I just have to think it Don't do too much with my face, don't make it too big. Because I feel like with commercials sometimes it's really short, condensed to the point in that moment. But then if you're doing a scene, it's like you've got a different objective in every line. You could, for example, yeah, like I go into work sometimes - my manager was like, I saw you on TV.
Helder Fernandes:No, it's really rewarding. Especially I find it interesting when the director's like they push a certain way for you and then when you watch it you're like, oh, there's the bigger picture and it's like it makes so much sense. I remember when I did my first O2 commercial. I remember the director being like just look back quick forward left, do it really quick, snap. And then when you see or two commercial, um, I remember the director being like just look back quick forward left, do it really quick snap. And then when you see it in the video, it's like a like a five second video, but you see the quick actions and it's like that's why I needed to be quick and snappy. It's really rewarding, though. It really is, yeah, and always exciting.
Ali Godfrey:Can you talk about your experience doing Our Generation at the National Theatre, the play by Alecky Blythe which then transferred?
Helder Fernandes:it was an amazing play yeah, I mean, I strongly believe that what's meant for you will never go by you and I think that was one of those jobs. And it was one of those jobs that is quite unique because I feel like, as an actor, to be so passionate about the story and the character. Well, that's quite unique because I feel like, as an actor, to be so passionate about the story and the character. But that's quite unique when you do shows or you play a part and I feel like I was really close to that character and the play. I remember having the zoom audition and I met Alecky and Daniel on zoom and they gave me this piece of audio and I went away and listened to it on my headphones and I just remember thinking the way he speaks, his rhythm, his pattern, his intonation. I was like I could so know this. I'm like this is for me, like sometimes you just know it's weird. I was like this is for me and, um, I just went back in, did the audition and they were like, yeah, we'd love to have you and I'd never come across a verbatim theatre before. So verbatim is basically Alecky has gone around and recorded audio which will essentially become lines for the actors to use. So, yeah, essentially that's verbatim and so, yeah, it was all new to me but very exciting. Do it exactly how I hear it and then physicalize it just felt really exciting.
Helder Fernandes:And then COVID kind of, we were meant to go into rehearsals, covid messed it up and stuff, but then we eventually got to the national, got into a room and we just had the headphones in and just kept rehearsing it with headphones, headphones. I think after about two months we lost the headphones, but it was. It was crazy because, like, we just knew it so well and and it was crazy how the audio can affect um, you physically as well, and and that was beautiful. And then so, yeah, we went on and did it with no audio and then ended up doing it on on stage and we got to meet the real people as well. They came in to watch it, which was really nice. Yeah, it was just a. It was. It was a great experience and a great show and and some great topics and obviously everyone was kind of going through covid at the time and covid was in the in the story as well, so that kind of hit home as well.
Ali Godfrey:Yeah, it was a great show to be a part of, and you were working with daniel evans as well on that,
Helder Fernandes:yeah, yeah, he was a great show to be a part of, and you were working with Daniel Evans as well on that, yeah yeah, he was a great director as well.
Helder Fernandes:He kept pushing me to make sure I was articulate but at the same time, to be true to the, the language that Luan used
Unique Spencer:that sounds like such an interesting sort of rehearsal process in terms of like having to listen to the audio to rehearse.
Unique Spencer:Like, while you're rehearsing listening to the audio, like I didn't know that that was how it happened. I mean, I've done the London Riots when I was at drama school, which is one of her plays as well, but obviously we didn't like do the process like that listening to any audio, we just did it from the play. So like knowing that you had to do it from that is so, so interesting. Do you find that you're able to adapt with many different sort of processes and directors and and sort of practitioners and and understanding how different people work? Do you think it's easy for you to adapt in those spaces?
Helder Fernandes:yeah, I think it's easier now. I find it interesting to see how other people work, and I found it very, very, very interesting how other people work because I feel like if you wrote that stuff, it just had so much raw authenticity to it. I don't know if you would have it if you wrote it like the things that some people say, like you can't quite write it, you know, and then where they put their pitch on their voice at certain times, and it also really guides an actor as well, because every night on theatre you change it every time, every night, but with a bit it's got to be the same every time and that's totally different to what I've known in the world of theatre. So, but it was actually quite nice because it's like, yeah, it's just like that same objective every time. But I think I love to to have different ways to work and you know, some people love sitting down action in the script and I find that every way is different but also unique in its own way and brings out something different.
Ali Godfrey:I'd just like to go back to the beginning, because I think it's fair to say your path wasn't always smooth, it wasn't always easy, yeah, and you've had a lot of challenges and bumps in the road to get where you are. So can you just talk about how how you got into acting in the first place?
Helder Fernandes:so I've always I've always been interested in acting. I remember I used to watch a lot of tv soaps with my mum and then, like high school was kind of where I discovered acting. I kind of enjoyed it there, found it fun. Um, when I got to sixth form, I did a BTEC level two at Newman Catholic College and I basically dropped out for like two years. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life, stuff like that. So I went back to my drama school teacher and asked her if there was any courses or colleges that I could go um join. And that's when Miss Beirne- Francis told me about Generation Arts. And at the time I was 17 so I couldn't do the future stage company that Unique Spencer was on at the time. So I remember I remember doing the weekly company. I remember thinking like I want to get into this and it was really nice for me just to be back in a space, in a creative space, and it felt like I was getting back into it and then ended up doing future stage, I think in 2015, and then I ended up getting a BTEC level three. I was also struggling to get into college because of my my grades. So Generation Arts kind of allowed me to get that BTEC and that's where I learned about drama school and that was an option, not only university, and so I thought about where I wanted to go and drama school was definitely a bigger option for me because it's you know less about the writing and more about doing, and that's where I thrived that kind of thing.
Helder Fernandes:I auditioned for drama school and it was a very, very hard journey, hard journey, hard. Three years, also three years where I learned a few things about myself as well, actually what my strong points were. I guess I was just kind of learning about Shakespeare as well. So it got better every year, I guess. But yeah, not getting in the first year, the second year can be disheartening, very disheartening. Um, there was points where I was like to Ali, it's just not gonna happen, like I don't know what to do, it's not gonna happen.
Helder Fernandes:But then I kept. I kept creative. In 2015, I got into two foundations Mountain View and Central and again, that was really good because I learned about what you actually learn in drama school. So I kind of already knew what that was in my head and I feel like my understanding just kept growing and kept growing and I kept learning and learning. And then I went back and here facilitated as well with Ali at Generation Arts, which was really nice as well to give back and that was the year I got in. And then I ended up going to ALRA doing three years there. The year I did a BA honours degree in acting, the want to get that end goal and be in the industry was closer than ever and just kind of kept working hard for it.
Ali Godfrey:Just to go back to that. So you were doing all of the rounds of all the auditions, basically all the big schools, and you didn't get in and you didn't the big schools, and you didn't get in and you didn't get in and you didn't get in. But we knew you would. And then that's a really important thing you were saying about some of these schemes that some of the drama schools offer, like the diploma at Central, and that there's a scheme at Mount view that they do. There's a really good scheme at Guildhall supported application scheme. So there are these part-time, one-year schemes that are happening in drama schools that if you don't get in, you can still be part of and they're funded. Did you find that that gave you that extra little step up to then finally get in?
Helder Fernandes:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I mean going to the drama school every day having a take, it's literally. It was literally a taster of what a three-year BA would be like, and I think that was very important as well. And auditioning at various drama schools, I was also getting a taste of what that drama school was like as well. But yeah, I'd say those foundation courses, those short week courses, they're important. It was like at Central, Mairi was an ex-Central student. So you know, you are, you're learning from people that have done those courses and like they know what they're they're doing and talking about. So what I learned on the foundation course I then took in with me to the audition and I think that was a major plus.
Ali Godfrey:What would you say to a young person now who's auditioning for drum school and not getting in?
Helder Fernandes:I'd say don't give up, find your why, why you're doing this.
Helder Fernandes:Everything's gonna work out fine
Unique Spencer:what do you think are the most important things in terms of drama school training? What do you think are the most important things that you learn? Like for myself was like professionalism, like I'd never really considered like why it was important to be on time, or like why it was important to follow rules, because I don't come from a place where I grew up following rules or listening to authority. And like I feel like drama school was the thing for me, that for once, I was listening to authority and following rules and like I was in a space that I'd never been in before
Helder Fernandes:just to play.
Helder Fernandes:I just remember being in drama school playing, playing there. I think I enjoyed that quite a lot. I think what it gave me was the confidence, because I remember being at generational arts and my confidence really really went up there. I love the challenge. And another thing I learned which I found really interesting was, when you do plays, the research that goes into it and then how much you learn about. I don't know like if you're doing a play about history, for example, you might learn so much about that era, and that was another thing. So it was like life and like we're learning about humans and the choices they make and how it affects other people, and and then also how many people um are creatively on this journey with you. Everyone's in their own journey and how beautiful everyone's own journey. So never like want to rush yourself, like your journey is unique to yourself, and obviously, obviously all the technical stuff at drama school that you learn like. You learn like how to connect to your voice and accents. All of that.
Helder Fernandes:All of that, I think is like little toolboxes and pluses and stuff
Unique Spencer:and did you ever feel like there was times at drama school, like you spoken before about coming in with like no sort of qualifications, no GCSEs and that, and like I was in exactly the same boat sometimes there was this feeling of feeling like inadequate. Did you ever feel that and like, how did you get past that?
Helder Fernandes:I didn't. You know, I didn't. It's so weird again, that confidence thing was just so there that I was just like I'm me and I felt so comfortable just being me. I think I was quite lucky that my year was just so nice and they just embraced me for who I was Maybe not everyone, but a lot of people embraced me for who I was and I didn't feel like I had to apologize for who I was.
Helder Fernandes:And if I didn't understand certain things or know certain things, I felt like it was okay because I was here to learn. Like I always say this, it was the best experience of education that I've ever had in my life. I'm talking secondary school and primary school. Those two experiences were so different than Generation Arts and drama school and I just enjoyed it. And I think why did you enjoy it? And I think it comes back to because I was just doing what I love and I was so confident in it that the outcome was going to be so great and I was going to be the best version of myself as an actor and as a human being. It's so weird. I just feel like I just threw myself in it and just enjoyed it and thrived in it. I didn't really care what people think.
Ali Godfrey:And for people listening, you come across as such a humble, nice person and I can reveal exclusively that you are, having worked with you and directed you in things at Generation Arts, you're someone who's just so brilliant to work with in the room. Because you're just so nice and so generous and such an ensemble spirit, nobody doesn't want to work with you, basically. But how do you maintain that?
Unique Spencer:How do you maintain being good and nice and kind?
Ali Godfrey:Yeah, you know, not everyone's a nice person to work with and times haven't always been easy, as we've discussed. So how do you maintain, like your humility, I guess, and just sort of having that attitude in the space, and do you ever have days where you wake up and think I can't be bothered with this?
Helder Fernandes:um, it's hard, like life's hard. Life's hard, um, I think for me. I don't want to let like I've been through a lot in my life. I've been through a lot in my life and I could easily, um have turned out a nasty person, I think, but I think it's important to not let what's happened to you in your past or what people have done to you affect your character or who you are. Um, I think to me it's always been important to make my mum proud, because she's just gone through a lot for me, that our parents do so much for us to be in such a better position, and she's my role model and I think sometimes it's the image that I give. Like, sometimes I'll be like to my mum oh, you know, uh, I can't get road rage when I'm driving a Sainsbury's, for example, because what if someone recognized me and they're like oh that Helder, he's this nasty person and you don't want to be remembered for that.
Helder Fernandes:I think it's always important to be nice and it's free, and the world's already kind of evil as it is, so you need to, like, spread some love into it. How do I maintain that? I think just trying to be happy. Do things to keep me happy doing things that keep you in that, in that positive mind frame. There's definitely days where I wake up and I'm like, oh, I can't do this or oh, this is hard. You just gotta remember why you're doing this and just gotta keep fighting and not come this far as well. Yeah, having loved ones around you as well, I think, yeah, having loved ones is very important. I think having the people you love around you is also a big plus. Yeah, having good people around you
Unique Spencer:what would you say like the highlights of your career have been?
Helder Fernandes:I think Our Generation is, uh, definitely one where I was like this is a beautiful moment, beautiful story. Wow, I'm at National, I can't, I can't believe it. Also, Top Boy um, you know, I grew up watching that show and then I remember seeing Top Boy and thinking I should be in that, like big-headed to say that, but I kind of just I want to say knew my worth. Yeah, it was just one of those things. And then, two years later, I could come out of drama school and then be in.
Helder Fernandes:It was dreamy,
Unique Spencer:yeah so what would you say in terms of like doing tv and film and theatre? Is there, like, any preference? Or like is one more important than the other? Or I know, one pays more than the other,
Helder Fernandes:That's for sure
Helder Fernandes:Theatre is just, it's live, it's the audience.
Helder Fernandes:It can change every night, depending on what you're doing. There's nothing quite like theatre, the feeling you get at the end, the adrenaline. It's an amazing feeling. I feel like you don't really get that. I don't really get that with film. Maybe when you watch it back you're like it's exciting and stuff like that.
Helder Fernandes:but theatre, theatre is very unique to me and very, very special
Unique Spencer:During your career, you've always sort of come back to Generation Arts and and been like a peer facilitator or come back and just show love and support. Is that really important to you, to like keep giving back to where you started or or remembering where you came from? I know you mentioned it earlier about being humble and going back and working in Sainsbury's and stuff, but in terms of like the companies or people that have helped you, is that important to go back?
Helder Fernandes:yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And I think it's important not only to go back and help Ali, and stuff like that, but I think it's also important to go back and then also show people that, like you were in their shoes once upon a time. You know you're now over here, so you know what, if I've done it, you can do it kind of thing it's possible. The proof is in the pudding, I just think so. Yeah, I think that's that's very important, because I think Ace was that for me when I was there, Ace Ruele was like the proof of the pudding and he, you know, he was similar area to me, similar background. You know, seeing that does give you hope and belief. I think that's very important
Unique Spencer:and so what's next?
Unique Spencer:or what do you would you love to do next? Like if you could be part of any sort of show, production, theatre, company, work with any director. Like I mean, go big, because we don't know where this podcast is going. Like I mean I'm ready to touch Spielberg, I'm ready to touch them all, so
Ali Godfrey:manifest it
Unique Spencer:get that shout out that's a good question.
Helder Fernandes:That's a very good question. I don't know. I'd love to do something in a in America. I think that's always kind of been a little dream of mine. I'm not gonna lie, I've always been like a that's not gonna happen, but Spider-man's been always been like a fun a thing that I've always loved and wanted to be a part of. But who knows,
Unique Spencer:I can see you as Spider-man.
Unique Spencer:For sure, for sure, for sure, for sure, I can see you as spider-man that works. As soon as you said it I was like, yeah, that works, let's make that happen.
Unique Spencer:Thank you so much. It's been an absolute pleasure and honestly wish you the best of luck with your career. I know I'm gonna see you in more commercials, more tv, more theater. I just know it won't stop for you because you're honestly just an amazing, lovely person and a credit to this industry absolutely likewise, likewise.
Helder Fernandes:Yeah, lovely to see you guys.
Unique Spencer:Each one can teach one, so keep acting strong. Subscribe, spread the word and turn on your notifications
Ali Godfrey:Each guest brings their own, take on resilience.
Ali Godfrey:So take what lands leave what doesn't.
Unique Spencer:Thank you for listening and see you next time. Bye, thank you.
