The career of British-Jamaican actor Micheal Ward has been on an upward trajectory — especially since his lead role in popular Netflix series, Top Boy.

Interestingly, Ward said he uses music to help him transition into his various roles.

“For me, it depends on the character. It depends on a lot of different things. Even for scenes where I have to get really angry — aggression isn’t really part of me so I listen to certain songs that will kind of fuel that energy. To be honest, I listen to a lot of drill music…like I said, it’s based on the character… In terms of Jamaican music, I listen to a lot of Popcaan. Loads of different stuff. I can’t think of the specifics, because it’s literally done a lot and like I said, the scene,” he told the Jamaica Observer during a Monday Exchange forum at the company’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew.

The 24-year-old — who was born in Spanish Town, St Catherine — is visiting Jamaica for the first time in 20 years.

His other films include The Old Guard, and The A List. He was awarded the 2020 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award as Best Rising Star for his role in Blue Story.

Ward had aspired to become a model and won a modelling contest at age 17 to become the face of JD Sports, but after his involvement in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in school, the acting bug bit him. His first professional acting role came in the Netflix series The A List, in which he played Brendan.

When it comes to embodying his various characters, Ward revealed that it isn’t as easy as it seems. However, he digs deep until he gets it right.

“It’s definitely difficult because you don’t ever want one role to feel the same. But then again, I’m me, and I have to bring a certain essence from myself to the characters but it’s just about finding it. Every process is hard, but it’s more about finding it. The more you do it, the more you find it and I guess the more and more I find things — the easier my process will be but I have no process. I just keep reading my lines, maybe a voice coach if I need it…it’s just finding ways, finding [the] voice, finding the different characters,” he said.

He further added that it takes a lot of skill and prioritisation to balance his fast growing career with his personal life, but, he makes it work.

“It’s very difficult ’cause I work. I work a lot. But this is the first time I’ve actually not had work which is why it’s perfect to come now. It’s very difficult, but at the same time, I still live at home with my family — that’s gonna change very soon. Going out to work, and coming home there’s that disconnect but there’s a time to connect,” Ward explained.

The accomplished actor had a few words of advice for other youngsters who have their eyes set on big dreams.

“Keep seeing that there are opportunities out there. Never feel like there’s not, ’cause there is. In the film and TV industry, there are so many jobs. Whether it’s light and sound…stuff that I never even heard of before until I started acting…you might think lighting is a joke, but there are people who have been lighting James Bond films for years and stuff like that and they have a good career. So, that experience is something that a young child might wanna do but they don’t know about it. Opportunity is everything. If you don’t have the opportunity, you can’t do it,” Ward said.