Adrian's CareerAdrian went to school in Birmingham where he wasn’t encouraged to pursue his fledgling interest in the arts. He did perform though, as a member of the cathedral choir and, later, at the Midlands Arts Centre where in addition to acting, he took classes in ballet, contemporary dance, and martial arts. His formal training as an actor began when he was 18 at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London, and since graduating he has seldom been out of work. He has played a variety of parts in Shakespeare including Hamlet, Rosalind in As You Like It and Dumaine in Kenneth Branagh’s all singing all dancing film of Love’s Labours Lost, and, his part as Henry Burton in the film Primary Colors gave him exposure to audiences throughout the world. “I draw on myself for every part” he says, “I can’t play anything on stage unless it makes sense to me, a 35-year-old guy from Birmingham.” Perhaps Adrian Lester’s ability to discover within himself some of the attributes of an extraordinary character like Henry V, a leader, a man who convinces others to take chances with their lives against all odds, was one reason for casting him in his latest contemporary role: a slick conman in the BBC television series Hustle. |  | |