Page 143 - The Bite Magazine - Spring Summer 2013

flipside,
p e o p l e
e x p e c t
me to go in
at that level
for everything.
Say, for instance,
you are making a
short film I do not
necessarily audition
wanting the lead
role, I just want to act.
Sometimes when I audition
for a smaller production
the casting director will say,
‘but you were a lead in a Ken
Loach film?’ You almost work
backwards. Most people have
to go through training and start
up small and, in that respect; I
appreciate it a lot because I know
what actors go through.”
The one striking aspect of Atta’s
character that immediately drew me
to him is his self-assured modesty
and heartfelt need to share his
happiness with others. Regardless
of the weight attached to his name,
Atta comes across as genuine, kind
and a little modest.When he is not
acting, Atta devotes a significant
amount of his time to community
projects. Having previously worked
as a youth councillor, the young
celebrity supports Save the Children
and the Enough Food For Everyone
IF campaign, which was recently
launched in Glasgow in aid of the
one in eight people across the globe
that go without food on a daily basis.
“Supporting campaigns like IF not
just as an actor but as a human being
is something really close to my heart.
Having a high profile is beneficial for
supporting causes like these. I am not
saying attaching my name changes
anything but it sometimes gives
charities more clout and publicity.”
Between acting jobs,Atta extends
his support of minority groups in
working for the Scottish Football
Association (SFA). As a member of
an ethnic minority with a passion for
football,Yaqub channels much of his
energy into football development,
which targets minority ethnic
communities and implements
football initiatives, “basically if you
look at Scottish culture in society and
then you look at the Scottish football
game you rarely see black faces or
Asian faces and this is something we
are
trying
t o
change. It should
have happened years
ago but, thankfully,
there is a team in place
now doing that. I am very
passionate about minority
communities be it black
and ethnic, gay or disabled,
the whole scope of this project
is massive but our focus at the
moment is around ethnic minorities
and, hopefully, funding permitted, this
will stretch to all those groups I have
just mentioned in a few years.”
With a strong head on his
shoulders, kind nature and sharp
wit, Atta’s future possibilities seem
endless. Currently in his home city
of Glasgow, a place close to the
actor’s heart,Atta hopes to continue
and progress with his work and
accepts that this may involve moving
elsewhere: “I think as an actor, it
is always difficult, because you do
not know what will happen next. I
think the main things are that you
keep involved with people who are
producing and casting. It is all about
self-promotion. Do you go back to do
another little course, do you get new
headshots and change your image?
It is about having that ambition
and desire and working to that and,
thankfully
now, I still
have that buzz
because I think it
can go away for some
people. In the long
run, I know I may need
to consider the possibility
of living in London or Los
Angeles. I would love to go out
to LA for pilot season; I have a
friend who is out there right now
after working in Eastenders. Looking
at her journey is inspiring, we were
in a short film a while ago and now
she is in Easties, so you just do not
know!”